Kel Trust

The Kel Trust is a registered charitable trust established in England and Wales on 29 September 2000, operating as a flexible, trustee-led generalist grant-maker. Governed by three trustees—Anthony Clarke Oakes, William Paul Harriman, and Donald Steven Smith—its core mission centers on advancing general charitable purposes through discretionary grants to other charities and voluntary organisations, reflecting the personal interests and priorities of its trustees rather than a fixed public vision, values, or strategic framework. With no property holdings, trading subsidiaries, or trustee remuneration, it emphasizes governance compliance, safeguarding, and risk management in a low-profile, responsive approach.

The Trust supports a broad spectrum of charitable activities across England and Wales, without thematic restrictions, specific causes, beneficiary groups, or programme preferences. It funds organisations rather than individuals, potentially covering projects, core costs, or capital needs, though no details on grant types or recipients are publicly disclosed, and no case studies or impact reports exist.

Eligible applicants are strictly UK-registered charities and voluntary bodies based in England and Wales, with no published income thresholds, size limits, or special criteria—though all consideration is invite-only. Unsolicited applications are not accepted; grants are awarded solely at trustees' discretion, with no application process, forms, guidance, deadlines, funding rounds, or meeting schedules. Typical grant amounts and recipient lists remain unpublished, reflecting modest annual expenditures.

Distinctively opaque and trustee-driven, the Kel Trust avoids public-facing missions, exclusions beyond standard legal requirements (e.g., no individual funding), or operational patterns, differentiating it as a purely discretionary funder shaped by internal judgement rather than strategic priorities or community engagement.