Prestwich Foundation

The Prestwich Foundation is a Manchester-based charitable grant-maker dedicated to alleviating hardship, emotional distress, and crisis among individuals in the Jewish community (Kehilla) and the wider Manchester population. Guided by the maxim "You have only what you give," it embodies values of kindness, empathy, and collective responsibility, acting as a discreet safety net for hidden suffering overlooked by formal systems. Established to prevent social isolation, mental health breakdowns, and intergenerational disengagement, it focuses exclusively on grant-making—distributing nearly £386,000 annually from donations, legacies, and grants—without direct service delivery, under trustees including chair Yehuda Levenberg.

It prioritizes funding for crisis relief, mental health support, emotional and practical aid, youth interventions, family stress alleviation, and initiatives building social resilience and community connection. Beneficiaries include individuals in acute need, stressed families, and at-risk youth, with grants supporting projects, core costs, emergency assistance, and occasionally unrestricted aid for agile, community-based responses in Manchester, particularly Jewish neighborhoods but extending citywide.

Eligible applicants are limited to UK-registered charities and community groups operating in Manchester, with a preference for small to medium-sized grassroots organizations addressing acute social needs—no strict income thresholds apply. Unsolicited applications are not accepted; funding is invite-only, identified proactively by trustees on a rolling, needs-led basis with no deadlines or public guidelines.

Distinctively responsive and non-generalist, it avoids capital projects, large infrastructure, or broad education globally (despite objects), instead emphasizing compassionate, targeted interventions for marginalized groups. Charities aligned with Manchester-based crisis and resilience work may be approached directly.