Stoneygate Trust

The Stoneygate Trust, established in 2007 by philanthropists Sir William and Lady Nadine Adderley, is an independent grant-making charity with a strategic focus on transformative medical research and educational opportunity for disadvantaged youth. Originally the Leicester Foundation, it operates as a trustee-led general-purpose trust emphasizing empathy-driven innovation in healthcare, excellence in overcoming barriers, and long-term systemic change through hands-on partnerships rather than open calls.

It prioritizes pioneering medical research in empathic healthcare, kidney disease, rare conditions like mitochondrial disorders and childhood brain tumours, palliative care, and end-of-life support, funding centres of excellence (e.g., £10M Stoneygate Centre at University of Leicester) and collaborations with bodies like Kidney Research UK and LOROS Hospice. In education, it supports over 200 scholarships annually for academically able, low-income undergraduates—especially first-generation students from deprived postcodes—at partner universities including Leicester, Nottingham, and De Montfort, via structured university programmes.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and academic institutions, with a strong preference for large, established organizations (annual income >£1M) demonstrating sector-leading excellence; small grassroots groups are not funded. No geographic base restriction applies, though initiatives centre on Leicestershire and Rutland with national/UK reach. Funding is strictly invitation-only for organizations—trustees identify and approach partners—while scholarships follow university deadlines (e.g., 6 Oct 2025 for Leicester).

Typical organizational grants range £500,000–£10M for multi-year projects, capital, and programmes; scholarships offer £3,000–£3,250/year. Distinctive for its absence of bureaucracy, no operational or small-scale funding, and trustee-discretion model fostering ambitious, collaborative impact.