C F Lunoe Trust Fund

The C F Lunoe Trust Fund, established in 1960 by Danish-born civil engineer Christian Frederick Lunoe—co-founder of Holst & Co, a leading UK reinforced concrete firm—advances technical education, research, and training while providing relief from poverty and hardship, primarily for former Holst employees and their dependents. Rooted in Lunoe's engineering legacy after immigrating to England in 1918, the trust embodies a dual ethos of loyalty to its founder's professional network and investment in UK technical skills development, blending personal welfare support with broader societal benefits through robust governance by up to seven unpaid trustees.

It prioritizes grants for technical and engineering education (e.g., scholarships, lectures, training events, research projects), poverty prevention, and hardship relief, benefiting children, young people, the elderly, general public, and especially Holst-connected individuals. Funding supports both individuals and organizations via project grants, core costs, and direct aid, with recent examples including £68,000 in educational grants and £58,000 in general grants in 2023/24.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and academic institutions operating in England and Wales, with no income thresholds; preference goes to those in technical/engineering fields or with Holst ties. Unsolicited applications are not accepted—invitation-only via the trust's network. Typical grants range £1,000–£10,000, decided at ad hoc trustee meetings with no public deadlines. Distinctively, it avoids broad charitable purposes outside its core technical and legacy welfare focus, setting it apart as a targeted supporter of engineering innovation and historic employee welfare.