John and Penelope Lebus Trust

The John and Penelope Lebus Trust, established in 2022 as a grant-making charity registered in England and Wales, embodies the Lebus family's philanthropic legacy through four family trustees. Its core mission is to relieve those in need due to educational or other disadvantage, ill-health, disability, or financial hardship, with a strong emphasis on enabling children and young people to thrive in an inclusive society. Guided by values of improving life opportunities, advancing welfare, and fostering sustainable change, the trust prioritizes impactful, frontline interventions via grants to organizations, while retaining investment returns for long-term philanthropy.

It funds projects addressing relief of need, including health and wellbeing initiatives, educational support, disability services, and poverty alleviation, particularly for disadvantaged children, young people, and vulnerable individuals. Supported activities encompass direct service delivery, preventative programs, and multi-year commitments, as seen in grants to The Junction Foundation (£15,000 annually for 2024-2027) for youth and family support in Tees Valley, Carney’s Community for London-based disadvantaged youth, and capital projects like the Britten Pears Building campaign.

Eligible applicants are exclusively registered charities in England and Wales; the trust shows preference for small to medium-sized organizations without strict income limits and does not accept unsolicited applications—grants are awarded at trustee discretion on an ad hoc basis with no public deadlines or forms. Typical awards range from £10,000 to £50,000 per year, often multi-year for core costs, projects, or programs. Distinctively, it avoids government-tied or high-profile funding, focusing on low-admin, high-impact youth relief without religious restrictions, differentiating it through family governance and proactive selection of grassroots charities demonstrating measurable benefits.