Helen Roll Charity

The Helen Roll Charity, established in 1992 by Jenny Williamson in Ramsden, Oxfordshire, honors her grandmother Lady Helen Roll and draws from family legacies including the Pearl Assurance founder. It operates as a family-governed trust with a generalist ethos, prioritizing sustained impact through seed-corn funding for small-to-medium UK charities that struggle for mainstream support. Core values emphasize long-term partnerships, relational grant-making, and catalysing sustainability for overlooked grassroots organizations, distributing £200,000–£300,000 annually to about 30 proven partners via modest, project-specific grants.

It funds diverse causes including homelessness, social care, community support, disability services, carers' aid, animal welfare, and access to holidays for disadvantaged groups, exemplified by grantees like At The Bus, Canine Partners, Carers UK, West Oxfordshire Citizens Advice Bureau, and Compassionate Friends. Support targets time-limited projects with clear outcomes, fostering innovation and independence in niche local efforts.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered or exempt charities based in or serving Oxfordshire and West Suffolk; small-to-medium organizations with modest incomes are preferred, with no strict thresholds but a focus on hard-to-fund entities. Applications are unsolicited via online form, accepted annually from 1 December to 15 February (next deadline: 15 February), with grants awarded in April.

Exclusions include individuals, core operating costs, unrestricted funding, and non-local activities. Distinctively, it adds just 1–2 new beneficiaries yearly, favoring those demonstrating transformative prior use of funds, blending regional loyalty, family oversight, and personalized support to nurture enduring local impact outside mainstream spotlights.