The Weavers Company Benevolent Fund
Guidelines for Applicants
The Weavers' Company Benevolent Fund was set up in 1973 with funds from The Worshipful Company of Weavers, which is the oldest City of London Livery Company and has a history dating back before 1130 AD.
Benevolent Fund Priorities
1. Helping disadvantaged young people
The object of the fund is to support projects working with disadvantaged young people to ensure that they are given every possible chance to meet their full potential and to participate fully in society. We normally define young people as being aged from 5 to 30 years.
2. Offenders and ex-offenders, particularly those under 30 years of age
Many offenders and ex-offenders suffer from a variety of difficult and complex problems and they are amongst the most vulnerable members of society. We will fund work that addresses the social and economic problems faced by this group and their families, and provide them with support, life skills training and a way back into education, training and/or employment, so that they may reintegrate and make a positive contribution to society.
We are especially interested in helping smaller organisations which offer direct services. They must be registered charities or in the process of applying for registration. Our grants are relatively modest, usually with an upper limit of £15,000 per annum, and to make sure grants of this size have an impact, we will not fund large organisations.
Applicants must show that they have investigated other sources of funding and made plans for the future, which should include replacement funding if appropriate.
We receive a great many appeals each year and the most common reasons for the Trustees not being able to make a grant include:
- applications not falling within our guidelines;
- charities asking for more than the grant figures given in the guidelines;
- application forms not being filled in correctly;
Read these guidelines carefully and only apply if your work falls within our priorities.
If you are in any doubt contact the Charities Assistant, who will be glad to help.
What will we fund?
Size of organisation
To be eligible for funding, local organisations such as those working in a village, estate or small town should normally have an income of less than about £100,000. Those working across the UK should normally have an income of not more than about £250,000.
Funding Limit
Grants are usually up to £15,000 per annum but smaller applications are also welcomed.
Duration of funding
Grants may be awarded for up to three years.
Pump-priming
We particularly welcome applications for pump-priming grants from small community-based organisations where our grant would form a major element of the funding
Project funding
We prefer to support projects where our grant will be used for an identified purpose.
Associated Costs
If you are applying for project funding, you should make sure you have included the cost of any overheads associated with the work, such as office/secretarial support, so that the project is not under-funded. It is in your best interest to ensure that you have
realistically assessed the cost of the project.
Core costs
We will consider applications for core funding, such as general administration and training that enable an organisation to develop and maintain expertise. Only those organisations whose
main purpose fits within our area of interest are eligible to apply.
Innovative or pioneering work
We like to encourage new ideas and to fund projects that could inspire similar work in other areas of the country.
Continuation funding
We appreciate the importance of providing ongoing funding for successful projects, which have proved their worth.
Emergency or deficit funding
In exceptional circumstances, we may provide emergency or deficit funding for an established organisation. Applicants most likely to be granted emergency funding are charities which the Company knows or has previously supported.
What will we not fund?
Long-term support
We will not normally provide long-term support
General appeals
We will not support sponsorship, marketing or other fundraising activities
Endowment funds
We will not support endowment funds, nor bursaries or long-term capital projects.
Grant-giving charities
Retrospective funding
We will not make grants for work that has been completed or will be completed while the application is being considered
Replacement funding
We will not provide grants for work that should be covered by statutory funding
Building projects
We will not fund building work but may help with the cost of equipment or furnishings
Disability Discrimination Act
We will not fund capital projects to provide access in compliance with the DDA.
Personal appeals
We will not make grants to individuals.
Umbrella bodies or large, established organisations
We will not normally support projects in which the charity is collaborating or working in partnership with umbrella bodies or large, established organisations
Overseas
We will not support organisations outside the UK, nor overseas expeditions or travel
Work that we cannot normally support includes
- Work with children under 5 years of age
- Universities or colleges
- Medical charities or those involved in medical care.
- Organisations of and for disabled people
- Environmental projects
- Work in promotion of religious or political causes
How to Apply
Download the application form or it is also available by post or e-mail.
We advise you to read the guidelines carefully before completing the form and to contact the office if you have any queries.
We will do our best to help you and the Charities Assistant, Mrs. Susie Williams will be glad to answer specific questions but we cannot accept draft applications.
Once we have received your application form the process is as follows:
1. We will contact you to deal with any queries, if necessary. Whenever possible, we will let you know within two weeks whether or not your proposal has been accepted for further consideration.
2. If it has been accepted, we will arrange an assessment visit. You will be visited by a member of the Company who will make recommendations to the Committee. Our members live throughout the UK and are often able to bring local know-ledge to bear.
The applications received far outstrip the funds available so even if the recommendation is positive, it may not be possible to award a grant.
3. We will contact you within two weeks of the Committee meeting, to let you know the out-come of your application.
4. Once you are ready to go ahead, we will send a cheque and let you know when your first progress report is due. We require reports at six-monthly intervals during the term of our grant.
When to Apply
The Charitable Grants Committee meets in February, June and October of each year.
We will do our best to process your appeal as quickly as possible but bearing in mind the various stages outlined above, it may take up to four months for your application to be processed.
If an application is received less than 10 weeks before a meeting it is unlikely to be ready for consideration by the Committee.
Any applications that arrive too late for consideration at one meeting are automatically rolled forward to the next.
Further advice and information
For further advice and information about the Company's Benevolent Fund, please contact the clerk at
The Weavers' Company
Saddlers' House
Gutter Lane
London
EC2V 6BR
Tel: 020 7606 1155
Fax: 020 7606 1119
e-mail: charity@weavers.org.uk
Registered Charity No: 266189
