James Beattie Charitable Trust

The Trust funds work across health, disability, older people’s wellbeing, youth opportunities, and poverty relief. This includes mental health support, respite and day services for disabled people, befriending and peer support for older residents, after-school clubs and skills development for young people, and family support for those facing financial hardship. They also support culture and leisure activities such as creative arts, sports, and therapeutic recreation that build confidence and social connections. All funded activity must take place in Wolverhampton and benefit its residents. The Trust prioritises frontline services that take holistic, person-centred, and preventative approaches to addressing need.

Registered charities and other voluntary organisations with a local presence in Wolverhampton are eligible to apply. The Trust does not fund individuals, and is unlikely to support national charities even when they offer ringfenced funding for Wolverhampton. They prioritise grassroots organisations serving children, young people, older residents, disabled people, and families facing hardship. Applicants should be able to demonstrate that they have already made good use of available government or council funding before seeking Trust support. The Trust also expects that proposed projects are not entirely new start-ups, as they prefer to support established work rather than seed capital for brand-new initiatives.

The Trust does not fund individuals or national charities, even if those charities offer ringfenced funding specifically for Wolverhampton. They are unlikely to support brand-new projects as seed capital, and they expect applicants to have first made good use of available government or council funding. Activities taking place outside Wolverhampton are not eligible.

The Trust offers multi-year grants and welcomes unsolicited applications. They value flexible, long-term partnerships with frontline services and are open to supporting core costs as well as project costs. Their funding style is pragmatic and responsive, emphasising continuity and trust in local organisations rather than short-term, one-off grants.