Richard Kirkman Trust

The Richard Kirkman Trust, established on 4 July 1988 as a grant-making charity under a trust deed, applies its income and capital from invested funds to charitable purposes at the absolute discretion of its three trustees, delivering public benefit primarily in Hampshire and neighboring areas like Dorset, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton. With a generalist, flexible mission rooted in local knowledge, it prioritizes addressing social needs and disadvantage among vulnerable groups, emphasizing community wellbeing through responsive, non-prescriptive support rather than rigid programs.

It funds a broad spectrum of causes, including children and young people, elderly individuals, people with disabilities, and voluntary bodies, often covering core costs, operational support, and projects in social care, education, mental health, physical disabilities, and community engagement. Recent beneficiaries like Home-Start Winchester (family support), Rose Road Association (disability inclusion), Dyspraxia Foundation (neurological aid), Community Playlink (children's play), and British Stammering Association (speech therapy) highlight its focus on tangible local impact for disadvantaged communities.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities—primarily small to medium-sized ones with incomes under £1m—and occasionally individuals, strictly operating in the specified South Central England localities; unsolicited applications are not accepted, with grants awarded invite-only based on trustees' discretion. Typical grants range from £1,000 to £5,000, favoring modest awards for established local organizations, with no fixed deadlines or published application process—decisions occur ad hoc via unpublicized trustee meetings.

Distinctively, the Trust avoids thematic restrictions, capital/seed funding emphasis, or open calls, setting it apart as a prudent, enduring funder of flexible infrastructure for grassroots charities tackling evolving needs among children, older people, and those facing significant barriers, without religious or other exclusions beyond general charitable compliance.