Pilkington Charities Fund

The Fund supports work that addresses poverty and hardship, physical and mental ill health, disability, and the needs of older people. Grants can be used for core costs such as running expenses and salaries, as well as for specific project delivery. This flexibility allows organisations to strengthen their existing services and develop new responses to local need. The Fund operates across Merseyside, with a particular focus on St Helens and the wider Liverpool City Region. It seeks to support activity that is rooted in local communities and delivers measurable benefits to vulnerable residents.

The Fund welcomes applications from registered charities, community interest companies limited by guarantee, and constituted community groups. It is important that organisations have been established for at least three years and have at least three unrelated trustees, directors or management committee members. The Fund looks for locally-rooted groups with a track record of delivering impact across Merseyside; national organisations can apply only if they can demonstrate local delivery and outcomes within the region. Work should benefit older people, disabled people, or the wider community, with priority given to activity addressing poverty and inequality.

The Fund does not support organisations established for less than three years, statutory bodies or work that is a statutory responsibility, or community interest companies limited by shares. It also excludes national organisations that cannot demonstrate local delivery in Merseyside, commercial ventures, and activities that are political or exclusively religious. Projects presented solely for the benefit of animals or plants are not funded, nor are costs already incurred before a grant offer, debts and other liabilities, or reclaimable VAT.

The Fund provides grants for core costs, project delivery and salaries, giving organisations flexibility to use funding where it is most needed. It welcomes unsolicited applications from eligible charities and community groups. The Fund’s approach is rooted in a commitment to locally-focused, adaptable philanthropy, enabling grantees to build on their existing strengths and respond to changing needs across Merseyside.