Aird Charitable Trust

The Aird Charitable Trust is a small, family-run discretionary grant-making charity registered in England and Wales since 1987 (formerly the Clabon Charitable Trust), governed by long-serving Aird family trustees including Sir George John Aird, Lady Xiaofen Aird, and Susan Priscilla Aird. It pursues broad general charitable objectives with no fixed mission or thematic focus, embodying a traditional family trust model that prioritizes trustee flexibility, personal stewardship, and responsive support for diverse UK charitable causes through unrestricted funds.

The trust funds a wide array of charitable activities, including health (e.g., hospices, dementia services), education, arts, riding for the disabled, conservation, religion, community transport, and general relief efforts. Grants support registered charities rather than individuals, covering project work, core costs, capacity building, capital, and revenue needs across small to medium-sized organizations, with a pragmatic approach favoring both immediate relief and longer-term efforts without emphasis on innovation.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities based anywhere in the UK (primarily England and Wales), with no income thresholds, geographic sub-restrictions, or special criteria beyond charitable status; it prefers grassroots and local/regional groups. Typical grants range from £500 to £2,000. Unsolicited applications are accepted year-round via written letter (by post) to the Trustees, including a covering letter on purpose, need, amount requested, and proof of status; no forms or online process exists. Decisions occur at annual trustee meetings, with turnaround from months to a year.

Distinctive for its unfettered discretion, lack of published strategies, website, or formal guidance, and absence of exclusions beyond non-charitable purposes, the trust offers modest, flexible aid ideal for charities seeking traditional, low-barrier support without thematic alignment.