Baron Davenport's Charity

The charity supports causes related to poverty alleviation, older people, youth, disability, and women. For organisations, they fund project delivery, equipment, and core costs for work that benefits vulnerable groups. For individuals, they provide financial assistance to older ladies living alone on low incomes, and emergency grants to older people, women, children, and young people facing acute hardship. Supported activities include essential household goods, respite breaks, educational support, and social inclusion through youth clubs and holiday schemes. All beneficiaries must live in a West Midlands county and within 60 miles of Birmingham Town Hall, with a particular priority for the City of Birmingham.

A wide range of organisations can apply for grants, including registered charities, charitable incorporated organisations, community interest companies, social enterprises, voluntary groups, faith organisations, and other not-for-profit bodies. The charity prioritises groups supporting unsupported older ladies, children in poverty, isolated elderly, and young people with disabilities. For individual grants to older ladies, applicants must live alone and be on a low income. Emergency grants are for individuals who have exhausted all public support. All beneficiaries must reside within the West Midlands region. The charity welcomes unsolicited applications.

The charity does not fund statutory services including state schools (unless for pupils with disabilities), local authorities, prisons, NHS hospitals, universities, nurseries, pre-schools, parent teacher associations, uniformed groups for international camps, or start-up organisations without first year audited accounts. They also exclude retrospective expenditure, capital appeals for places of worship unless primarily for community use, and medical research. Emergency grants cannot cover general living costs, utilities, debts, course fees, funeral costs, or local authority welfare provision.

The charity offers both one-off and recurring funding. Organisation grants can cover project delivery, equipment, and core costs. Individual grants for older ladies are paid twice a year, while emergency grants are one-off. They welcome unsolicited applications. Grants are awarded at the trustees' discretion based on need and fit with the charity's focus. Core costs are supported for organisations, and individual grants provide direct financial aid.