Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust, established in 1925 by the 1st Viscount Leverhulme, is a UK-wide grant-maker rooted in the philanthropist's vision to advance education and alleviate financial hardship for individuals tied to the grocery, pharmacy, or commercial travelling trades. Its enduring mission promotes social mobility through targeted bursaries, emphasizing opportunity, fairness, and direct support for overlooked commercial workers and their families, with a strong focus on practical educational barriers rather than institutional or community-wide projects.

The Trust funds specific educational programmes, including School Essentials Grants for children's necessities, undergraduate bursaries (up to £3,000/year), postgraduate bursaries (up to £5,000/year), and vocational study support. These cover tuition, accommodation, living expenses, and equipment for applicants demonstrating financial need (priority for household incomes under £50,000, considered up to £90,000) and a direct employment or family connection to the eligible trades, benefiting students from school age to postgraduate level across the UK.

Eligibility is strictly for UK-resident individuals studying at recognised UK universities; charities, organisations, and those without trade links are ineligible. Applications are unsolicited via an online portal during annual windows—postgraduate closes 1 September 2025 (opens 1 June), undergraduate 15 October 2025 (opens 1 August), vocational 15 November 2025—with decisions in 4-6 weeks. Grants are not backdated or for general hardship.

Distinctively narrow in scope, the Trust avoids core costs, capital projects, or unrelated sectors, setting it apart as a rare, lineage-driven funder of bespoke bursaries for families in these key trades, ensuring measurable impact on educational attainment amid economic disadvantage.