Clara E Burgess Charity

The Clara E Burgess Charity, established in 1998 under the will of Douglas Burgess, is a UK-registered trust dedicated to relieving children and young people—especially those under 10 and bereaved of one or both parents—through practical support enhancing their education, health, and physical well-being to improve life conditions. Its ethos emphasizes holistic, beneficiary-led interventions for vulnerable children facing disadvantage, illness, or loss, prioritizing direct services like children's hospices, holiday funds, medical research, disability initiatives, bereavement support, and educational access over advocacy or policy work.

The charity funds projects delivering measurable improvements in mental/physical health, educational engagement, and resilience for young children as principal beneficiaries, supporting organizations such as Children's Countryside Holiday Fund, Daisy's Dream, and The Fostering Network with activities addressing crisis support, countryside holidays, and specific medical/educational needs.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities (small to medium-sized, no strict income limits) operating in England and Wales (or UK-wide with focus there), submitting concise written applications by post—including charity background, project description, funding breakdown, and latest accounts—at any time for biannual trustee meetings (typically January and July). Grants range from £1,000 to £10,000, mainly for direct project delivery or beneficiary-related capital, excluding core costs, overheads, unrestricted funds, advocacy, or overseas projects without direct UK child benefit.

Distinctively, it maintains a laser focus on under-10s and bereaved children via practical, responsive grant-making with strong governance, offering unsolicited opportunities for aligned grassroots charities to secure targeted impact.