Martin Ashley Charitable Foundation

The Foundation focuses on education and youth development, funding programmes that maximise educational opportunities for children facing barriers such as family hardship, behavioural challenges or learning difficulties. This includes school-home support, after-school interventions, mentoring and skills training for young people. Health and wellbeing work covers campaigns promoting healthy lifestyles among youth, therapeutic health services, preventative youth programmes, and overseas health interventions such as obstetric fistula surgery for women in Africa and Asia. The Foundation also supports advocacy for basic human rights, core funding for youth initiatives addressing mental health, physical wellbeing and social isolation, and unrestricted support for charities delivering person-centred, evidence-based solutions like counselling, training and community-led projects that build resilience and long-term independence. Work is supported across England, Wales and in regions with urgent global health needs.

The Foundation funds registered charities and community groups operating in England and Wales. It particularly favours projects benefiting young people, children in educational need, women with complex health conditions in underserved regions, and communities experiencing health disparities or rights violations. Eligible organisations should be established bodies with clear evidence of public benefit and measurable outcomes. There is no religious restriction. The Foundation prioritises proven charities demonstrating holistic, outcomes-focused strategies in youth work, education equity, preventative health and international aid, especially those tackling root causes of disadvantage.

The Foundation has no explicit exclusions, but it distinctly favours projects that benefit young people, children facing educational barriers, women with complex health conditions, and communities affected by health disparities or rights violations. Applications outside these priority areas are unlikely to succeed.

The Foundation provides both core funding and unrestricted support, allowing charities to use funds where they are most needed – whether for specific projects or organisational running costs. It welcomes unsolicited applications and offers flexible, sustainable funding to established charities with a track record of delivering demonstrable outcomes.