Dowager Countess Eleanor Peel Trust

The Trust supports causes including older people, physical and mental health, disability, poverty and hardship, homelessness, community development, and armed forces communities. It funds capital works, project delivery, and core costs. The geographic focus is the North West of England, specifically Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, and Merseyside. Through its Minor Medical and Health Sciences Grant programme, it also supports medical research to increase research capacity in the region, with a focus on early career researchers. The Travelling Fellowship programme funds research, advanced study, or new clinical skill acquisition for UK-based candidates planning a career in the UK.

UK-registered charities that are based and working in Lancashire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, or Merseyside. The Trust prioritises smaller to medium-sized charities where grants can have a tangible impact. Organisations that are primarily devoted to children, individuals, faith groups, schools, or those under government control are not eligible. Larger charities with substantial income or reserves are unlikely to be supported for non-capital projects. The Trust considers only one application per charity in its financial year. Beneficiaries include older people and the general public, with a focus on those experiencing hardship, disability, or poor health.

The Trust does not fund charities primarily devoted to children, individuals, faith groups, schools, or organisations under central or local government control. It also does not support large, well-funded charities for non-capital projects, and charities with substantial reserves are unlikely to be successful. The Travelling Fellowship programme does not fund conference attendance.

The Trust offers one-off grants for capital works, project delivery, and core costs. It welcomes unsolicited applications for its General Grant programme. Only one application per charity is considered each financial year. The Trust also awards Travelling Fellowships for research or clinical skill acquisition, and Major Grants by invitation for significant medical research or charitable purposes. Funding from other sources may be sought for fellowship applications.