Baron Davenport's Charity

Baron Davenport's Charity, an endowed trust established in 1914 by the will of Baron Charles Davenport in Birmingham, is dedicated to alleviating acute hardship among vulnerable groups in the West Midlands. Its core mission focuses on improving lives through practical financial support for disadvantaged single women, children in poverty, elderly people, and young people with learning or physical difficulties, emphasizing direct aid for essential needs like household goods, respite breaks, educational support, and social inclusion via youth clubs, holiday schemes, and residential care services. Rooted in personal beneficence, the charity blends individual emergency grants with organizational funding, guided by values of stewardship, inclusivity, and professional referrals to ensure safeguarding and impact.

It prioritizes organizations delivering benefits to unsupported women living alone or with children, fatherless youth under 25, isolated elderly, and disadvantaged children in community or faith-based settings, funding project costs, running expenses, capital equipment, and occasional core support—such as residential care tools, youth activities, and hardship relief for older people.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and community groups based within 60 miles of Birmingham Town Hall (covering Birmingham and West Midlands counties), with preference for small to medium-sized local entities; individual grants require referrals from professionals like social services or healthcare, not direct applications. Typical grants range from £200 to £1,000, with biannual meetings in late May/early June and late November/early December following 15 March and 15 September online application deadlines; emergency referrals are rolling, decided within 2-4 weeks. First-time applicants may face site visits, and all must exhaust public funding first.

Distinct for its hyper-local focus, multi-generational support without religious restrictions, and rejection of non-referred individuals or out-of-area needs, the charity stands out for tailored, immediate relief to those in acute economic distress, fostering stability through trustee discretion and proven partnerships with groups like local youth clubs and encephalitis services.