E F Bulmer Trust

The E F Bulmer Trust, founded by Fred Bulmer in the late 1930s, is a family-run charitable trust rooted in Herefordshire, originally supporting former employees of HP Bulmer Holdings PLC and their dependants, now expanded to relieve hardship, need, and distress among local residents, especially the sick, convalescent, disabled, infirm, or vulnerable. Guided by values of compassion, social justice, fairness, and community responsibility—embodied in family trustees who are descendants or spouses—the Trust emphasizes sustainable, transparent interventions via its Fred Bulmer Centre hub, prioritizing direct relief of suffering through healthcare, mental health, disability support, bereavement care, and social welfare for Herefordshire people.

It funds targeted projects, core running costs, service delivery, and some overheads for small local voluntary groups and charities tackling isolation, illness, poverty, and exclusion, as seen in grants to Cruse Bereavement Support, Brandon Trust, and grassroots organizations. Sustainability is key: grants encourage diversified funding, rarely cover 100% of costs, and are one-off without multi-year commitments; small individual hardship grants under £500 are also possible.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or community groups based strictly in Herefordshire (national bodies or schools only if benefits are intensely local); no income thresholds, but preference for grassroots/small-medium entities demonstrating need, capacity, and impact via detailed budgets. Unsolicited applications via email/post using website forms, with three annual deadlines (1 April, 1 August, 1 December) and outcomes in ~10 weeks; quarterly trustee meetings.

Exclusions include statutory services, arts/environmental projects, capital builds (unless hardship-linked), and non-Herefordshire activities. Distinctively, its generational family stewardship, local exclusivity, and focus on personal dignity set it apart for aligned small charities seeking modest, impactful support (£500–£5,000 typical, averaging £2,000–£4,000).