Gay and Peter Hartley's Hillards Charitable Trust

Gay and Peter Hartley's Hillards Charitable Trust is a grant-making charity founded by the Hartley family, rooted in the legacy of the Hillards grocery business, to empower local, independent community organizations in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and select towns across up to eleven north and central England counties, such as Scarborough, Selby, and Skipton. Its mission focuses on alleviating social disadvantage and enhancing quality of life for vulnerable groups—including children, older people, those with mental or physical health issues, disabilities, and terminal illnesses—through hands-on support for grassroots welfare, hospices, and practical initiatives that foster care, dignity, and community resilience. The Trust's values emphasize local responsiveness, minimal bureaucracy, and empowering small-scale efforts overlooked by larger funders.

It prioritizes one-off grants for projects addressing children's welfare (safeguarding, respite, youth activities), elderly support (combatting isolation, daily care), mental/physical health services, disability inclusion, and palliative care, funding direct services, core costs, or occasional small capital needs with tangible community impact.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or community groups that are small, independent, locally managed (typically under £1 million income, often far less), with a local bank account and strong neighbourhood ties—no national charities or branches. Applications are welcomed unsolicited via a simple online form on a rolling basis, with prompt discretionary decisions by a small unpaid trustee board; typical grants range £500–£1,000, exceptionally up to £10,000 for high-impact projects, rarely repeated.

Distinctive for its neighbourhood-level focus tied to Hillards' historic footprint, the Trust avoids partisan politics, religious proselytizing, or large organizations, standing out as a reliable, low-barrier supporter of embedded voluntary groups tackling real hardships.