St Monica Trust

The Trust supports a wide range of activities that improve the lives of older people across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath and North East Somerset. Funding is available for projects addressing social isolation, mental health inequalities, and barriers to volunteering and employment. Specific programmes include a Mental Health and Older People fund that prioritises bids empowering older people with direct input from them, and a North Somerset Older People’s Community Grant aimed at reducing social isolation through re-imagined ways of working. A Volunteering and Employment for Older People fund helps older people remain active in work and volunteering, challenge negative stereotypes, and promote community integration. The Trust also offers individual hardship grants for essential items such as household appliances, furniture, flooring, clothing, and disability-related equipment. Costs supported include core costs, project delivery, equipment, events, and salaries.

The Trust welcomes applications from UK-registered charities, community groups, CIOs, and unincorporated associations whose core purpose is supporting older people. Priority is given to smaller, locally embedded groups with modest income. Individuals aged 55 or over with a physical disability, long-term health condition, or mental health problem can also apply for hardship grants. All applicants must be based and working within the West of England area: Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, or Bath and North East Somerset. For the North Somerset community grant, organisations must be based and working in North Somerset. The Trust values organisations that share its principles of charity, compassion, dignity and inclusion, and that have strong direct input from older people.

The Trust does not fund general appeals, direct replacement of statutory funding, political groups or activities promoting political beliefs, religious groups promoting religious beliefs, animal welfare, medical research, equipment or treatment, arts or sports projects without a community or charitable element, activities that raise funds for other organisations, fundraisers' salaries, or projects that have already taken place before an application can be processed. Individual hardship grants cannot replace statutory funding.

The Trust offers both one-off and multi-year grants, supporting core costs, project delivery, equipment, events, and salaries. For individuals, it provides short-term monthly grants for three months to help through a financial crisis, or one-off gifts for specific items. The Trust welcomes unsolicited applications and prioritises smaller, locally embedded groups. It works collaboratively with grantees, aligning its grant-making with regional care provision.