Black Heart Foundation (UK) Limited

Black Heart Foundation (UK) Limited, founded in 2010 by Ric Lewis, is a UK-registered charity dedicated to breaking barriers to achievement for talented, ambitious youth from disadvantaged, low-resource backgrounds. Its mission focuses on enhancing educational access, quality, and outcomes for underprivileged children and young adults facing poverty, poor health, or nutrition challenges, guided by values of aspiration, achievement, inspiration, creativity, and commitment. Distinctively, it passes 100% of donations directly to beneficiaries through lean operations, offering hands-on mentorship alongside financial aid, with leadership from influential trustees and responsiveness to issues like racial inequality and Black Lives Matter.

The Foundation prioritizes raising educational attainment via its flagship Black Heart Scholarship Programme, providing bursaries for university, vocational study, advanced apprenticeships, and specialist training across disciplines like computer science, law, and economics. It supports individuals demonstrating financial need and merit, especially BAME youth attending top UK institutions (e.g., Oxford, UCL), and funds grassroots community initiatives leveraging sport, health, and wellbeing to foster personal development and long-term opportunity. Eligible applicants include UK-registered charities, community groups, and individuals with no geographic restrictions (UK-wide core focus, some global), preferring high-impact, small-scale organizations without strict income thresholds.

Grants typically range from £1,000–£10,000 annually for tuition, living costs, or project funding, assessed holistically on need, merit, and mission alignment. Unsolicited applications are welcomed via online form or PDF (with portfolio for Art Scholarships), reviewed biannually: next deadline 17 August 2025 (Cohort 1 decisions by 31 October). It excludes emergency relief or large-scale unrestricted funding, standing out for its evidence-driven, merit-based approach without arbitrary barriers like religious restrictions.