Cullum Family Trust

The Cullum Family Trust, established in 2006 by the Cullum family with Peter Geoffrey Cullum CBE as chair, is a grant-making charitable trust dedicated to addressing systemic challenges for disadvantaged groups, with a distinctive focus on transforming autism education in England. Motivated by a commitment to inclusion, it advances the relief of poverty, education, and public benefit through sustained, collaborative investments that enable autistic young people to thrive in mainstream schools. Its hallmark is the NAS Cullum Centres network—specialist facilities within mainstream primary and secondary schools providing tailored educational, clinical, and therapeutic support for autistic pupils with academic potential, alongside their families. This pioneering model emphasizes early intervention, scalable partnerships with the National Autistic Society (NAS), local authorities, and schools, prioritizing structural change over short-term aid.

The trust funds large-scale capital grants for building Cullum Centres (e.g., up to £1,100,000 covering construction, equipment, and fees), multi-year programme support, and strategic development, often matched by local contributions. Eligible entities are UK-registered charities, academic institutions, and mainstream schools in England, particularly large specialist organizations like NAS or statutory partners in areas such as Surrey, Kent, Essex, and Brighton and Hove; smaller grassroots groups are not supported.

Funding is invite-only, with no unsolicited applications, deadlines, or open rounds—decisions arise from ongoing strategic dialogues and ad hoc trustee meetings. It excludes core costs, unrestricted support, or activities outside autism inclusion in mainstream education, setting it apart through family-led trusteeship, first-in-sector innovations, and long-term, high-impact collaborations that deliver measurable systemic progress.