Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust

Could Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust fund your project? Check fit free. Draft if yes — or shortlist better matches.

Typical grants: £1,000 – £5,000
Applications: Accepted
How to apply: Online form
Decisions: Quarterly

Works for Registered charities, CIOs, CICs and community groups.

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austin-hope-pilkington.org.uk

About Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust

The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust is a UK-wide grantmaker supporting registered charities that help people facing significant disadvantage. Established in memory of Austin Pilkington and his wife Hope, the Trust continues their legacy by funding practical projects that make a real difference. It favours smaller, specialist charities and aims to fund work clearly focused on a specific group of beneficiaries. The Trust runs several grant rounds each year with a rotating theme, offering a simple and accessible application process. It funds project delivery costs only.

What Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust funds

The Trust funds projects that support specific beneficiary groups, with recent themes including people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and unpaid adult carers. For homelessness, priority is given to those leaving the armed forces, prison, or care. For carers, projects must focus exclusively on unpaid adult carers and provide therapeutic support such as healthy eating and outdoor activities. The Trust supports project delivery costs only and does not fund salaries, capital works, equipment, holidays, or transport. Grants are available to charities across the UK.

Who can apply

Only UK registered charities are eligible to apply. The Trust does not fund CICs, social enterprises, community groups, faith groups, schools, or individuals. Charities must work exclusively with the beneficiary group of the grant round. The Trust runs two programmes: Smaller Charity Grants for charities with a lower income, and Larger Charity Grants for those with higher income. Priority is given to smaller, specialist charities. There is no religious restriction.

What Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust doesn't fund

The Trust does not fund capital appeals, equipment, holidays, transport, or salaries. It excludes organisations involved with religion or animals. Individual hospices, overseas projects, schools, uniformed groups (Scouts, Guides, Sea Cadets), students, village halls, and shopmobility are also not supported. National organisations working in these areas may apply for hospice-related work.

How they like to fund

The Trust offers one-off grants for project delivery costs. It operates a rotating theme cycle, with each grant round focused on a specific beneficiary group. The Trust welcomes unsolicited applications from eligible charities. Grants are not multi-year and do not cover core costs.

How much does Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust give?

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust runs 2 grant programmes. Every figure below is sourced from their published guidance.

Last verified 8 August 2026 · 42 sourced facts

Larger Charity Grants (Rounds 2 & 4)Currently closed

£5,000 – £5,000

Online application form
Next deadline 30 September 2026
2 rounds a year
Decisions in ~4 weeks
Single-year grants

Smaller Charity Grants (Rounds 1 & 3)Currently closed

£1,000 – £1,000

Online application form
2 rounds a year
Decisions in ~4 weeks
Single-year grants

Those are the published figures. What your charity could realistically get — and whether you'd clear their rules on income, location and legal structure — is what the free fit check answers.

What Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust funds — and what they won't

Their stated priorities

2026: Rounds 1&2: People experiencing or at risk of homelessness, focusing on life skills including food education, healthy living and budgeting. Priority given to people leaving armed forces, prison or care. Rounds 3&4: Unpaid adult carers, projects providing therapeutic support including healthy eating and outdoor activities. Project must focus exclusively on unpaid adult (18 or over) carers.

Where they fund

Costs they'll cover

Project delivery

They don't fund

ReligionAnimalsSalariesCapital works & buildingsEquipmentHolidaysTransportCICsSocial enterprisesCommunity benefit societiesCommunity groupsFaith groupsSchoolIndividuals

The full exclusions list (14)

Capital appeals, including equipment
Charities involved with religion (including repair of Church fabric)
Charities involved with animals (welfare and conservation)
Holidays , including respite holidays
Individual hospices (national organisations can apply)
Individuals , including individuals embarking on a trip overseas with a charitable organisation
Minibuses or other Vehicles
Overseas projects
Schools, including activities
Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies
Sea Cadets
Shopmobility
Students
Village Halls

Good to know

FaithNo restriction

Focus areas

DisabilityMental healthHomelessnessPoverty & hardshipChildren & youth

How to apply to Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust takes applications via online form.

Published programme route: online application form.
Decisions are typically quarterly.
Check whether your charity is in scope before you spend time on a full bid.

What Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust's application asks

We hold the 39 questions from Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust's application form, word for word — so you know exactly what you're signing up to answer.

Question 1

“Please confirm that you have read the Trust's Privacy Notice and agree to your personal data being collected and used as described.”

Question 2

“Please confirm that you have read the Trust's Grant Terms and Conditions and accept them on behalf of the charity.”

37 more questions from their form, plus answers drafted from your charity's real data if you decide to apply.

How it works

1
Describe your project. Once — used for this funder and others.
2
See if this could be a fit. Honest check on cause, place, size, and rules.
3
Draft if yes. From your real data — or move on if not.

See if Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust could be a fit. Draft if yes.

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust provide?

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust runs 2 grant programmes — Larger Charity Grants (Rounds 2 & 4): £5,000 – £5,000 · Smaller Charity Grants (Rounds 1 & 3): £1,000 – £1,000.

Where does Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust fund charities?

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust funds charities operating in UK.

Does Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust accept unsolicited applications?

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. Current programme status is on this page — do not assume a round is open.

What does Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust not fund?

Their published exclusions include: Capital appeals, including equipment; Charities involved with religion (including repair of Church fabric); Charities involved with animals (welfare and conservation); Holidays , including respite holidays; Individual hospices (national organisations can apply). The full exclusions list is further up this page.

How do I apply for funding from Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust?

Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust takes applications via online form. Published programme route: online application form.