The Swire Charitable Trust’s core programmes – Opportunity, Nature and Heritage – are open to applications on a rolling basis, with no deadlines. The Trust prioritises UK charities that are well positioned to meet current challenges, aiming to direct grants to where they are needed most.
Provided by:
The Swire Charitable Trust
Funder website:
https://www.swirecharitabletrust.org.uk/
Who can apply
Our core programmes only fund:
Work carried out by charities that are registered with: the Charity Commission for England & Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Register, or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
Work that takes place in the UK
Across all our programmes we aim to prioritise charities that:
Operate in some of the most disadvantaged parts of the UK
Try to engage the most marginalised and vulnerable in their work
Can clearly demonstrate the needs they are addressing
Know what they are aiming to achieve and plan to monitor and evaluate outcomes
Are well placed and qualified to deliver the work
Can show a proven track record as well as solid ambitions
Have the potential to change the way issues are tackled more widely
Take an effective approach to using volunteers and mentors (where appropriate)
Are seeking to make their income streams more sustainable
Have strong and quality leadership
Manage their finances prudently
Restrictions
We cannot fund:
Organisations that are not UK registered charities
Activities taking place outside England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland
Work that benefits only one person, such as individual scholarships/bursaries
Requests from charities that have applied to us in the last 12 months
Work that has already taken place
Work that is concerned with animal welfare
Work targeted towards people who are primarily disadvantaged due to the following:
physical health issues, disabilities or sensory impairments
learning disabilities or special educational needs
Statutory bodies or work that is primarily the responsibility of statutory authorities (e.g. residential, respite and day care and housing)
Work that is health/medical related – e.g. treatment, care (at home or any other care setting like a hospital or hospice) advice, research or equipment
Activities of local organisations which are part of a wider network doing similar work (e.g. uniformed youth groups, YMCA, MIND, Mencap, Home-start, RDA, Relate, Citizens Advice Bureau, Age UK etc.)
Work that involves policy change, behaviour change, campaigning or political advocacy
Religious activities, or work that promotes a particular religion
Schools or Multi Academy Trusts
Applications received by post or email, i.e. not via our online funding request form
Eligible Expenditure
Opportunity
Improving life chances
We are interested in frontline charities that deliver practical support, providing people who fall through the gaps with opportunities to break the cycle of disadvantage. We prioritise charities that:
Support children and young people who are:
Care experienced
At risk of/involved with the criminal justice system
Homeless or vulnerably housed
Refugees/unaccompanied asylum seeking children
Not in/disengaged from Education, Employment or Training
Affected by caring responsibilities
Affected by domestic violence/abuse
Help ex-service people out of homelessness and/or into employment;
Enable survivors of modern slavery and trafficking to rebuild their lives.
Nature
Supporting the UK’s biodiversity
We support activities that improve the health and resilience of the UK’s ecosystems and native species, working to restore habitats on land and in freshwater and coastal environments.
Connecting people to nature
We are interested in charities supporting nature-friendly farming, urban farms and community green spaces, particularly those in disadvantaged areas.
We also look for activities that inspire people to enhance our natural environment, practice citizen science, learn green skills and spend more time in nature.
Heritage
Regeneration through restoration
We are keen to fund heritage restoration, regeneration, or conservation projects that have the potential to deliver significant social and economic benefits. We favour grassroots organisations that strongly engage with their local communities.
Protecting and developing heritage skills
We also fund charities working to protect, nurture, and cultivate the skills, knowledge, and expertise underpinning the UK’s heritage sector. We are also interested in projects that open up opportunities for training and employment within heritage.
How to apply
When you are ready to make your application please submit a funding request by completing the following steps:
Pass our eligibility test
Please answer all the questions and submit your responses.
If your responses indicate that you are eligible to apply for funding, you will move automatically to the next step. If they don’t, you won’t be able to proceed.
Complete the online funding request form
Please complete every field and try to demonstrate why your charity’s work is needed and effective. Most of the questions have character limits but please don’t think that you need to use these up. Concise answers are often the most compelling.
A PDF of the questions on our funding request form can be found above. Please remember that this is for guidance only and you must submit your request via the online funding request form.
Add attachments and submit your request
At the end of the form, upload a copy of your charity’s latest inspected or audited accounts. If your charity is too new to have these, a copy of a bank statement will be fine. You’ll also get the chance to upload budgets and any other materials that you think may add weight to your request.
You can make changes and save your form at any time before submission. Return to it at a later date by clicking ‘Save and resume later’. You will have 30 days to submit your application.
When you have completed the form you will have the opportunity to review your answers and, if necessary, go back to make any final changes. When you are happy please click ‘Submit application’.
Our application guidelines and FAQs are there to help you complete your application. But if you need any extra help, please email info@scts.org.uk
Sadly, because we receive many more applications than we could ever hope to support, we inevitably have to turn down many requests, even those that are closely aligned with our funding priorities. In 2023, around 70% of applications received were unsuccessful.
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