Gay and Peter Hartley's Hillards Charitable Trust

The Trust funds a wide range of social support activities, with a focus on older people, physical and mental health, children and young people, and education and skills. Grants can support project delivery, core costs, equipment, and training. The Trust operates across a specific geography covering towns and cities in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Northamptonshire, including areas such as Leeds, Huddersfield, Sheffield, Northampton, Leicester, and York. It prioritises work that benefits communities once served by Hillards stores, with a strong emphasis on local, grassroots initiatives.

The Trust supports independent, locally managed, non-profit, voluntary and community-based organisations, including community groups, trusts, and unincorporated associations. It prioritises groups that are rooted in their local area and provide social support to the communities once served by Hillards stores. Organisations with more than a third of their income from statutory funding, national charities without local autonomy, and bodies that have received a grant from the Trust in the preceding 18 months are not eligible. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

The Trust does not fund animals, the environment, arts and culture, or faith-based activities. It also excludes capital works, research, events, and transport. National charities without local autonomy, organisations with more than a third of their income from statutory sources, and bodies that have received a grant from the Trust in the preceding 18 months are not eligible.

The Trust makes one-off grants, with no multi-year funding. It welcomes unsolicited applications from eligible organisations. The Trust's funding style is focused on supporting small, local groups with practical needs, such as project delivery, core costs, equipment, and training.