Mayor of Hillingdon's Charitable Trust

The Mayor of Hillingdon's Charitable Trust, established in its current form in 2015 (building on longstanding Mayoral appeals), is a civic-led initiative by Hillingdon Council to raise and distribute funds for charitable causes enhancing quality of life for London Borough of Hillingdon residents. Guided by the serving Mayor's annual priorities, it embodies values of local leadership, partnership, transparency, and responsive philanthropy, with trustees from council members and officers ensuring Charity Commission compliance and prudent financial stewardship. Distinctively, it functions not as an open grant-maker but as a focused fundraising vehicle, selecting and championing one or more charities each Mayoral term to amplify their impact and visibility through events and publicity.

It supports diverse, evolving themes reflecting borough needs, such as arts in healthcare (e.g., Royal Brompton & Harefield Arts), hospital radio (Radio Hillingdon), stroke support, SEND family services, ADHD/autism care, domestic abuse recovery (Halo Children’s Foundation), and children’s wellbeing (Al-Falah Institute). Funding targets project-based service delivery, awareness-raising, and direct support for vulnerable residents facing health, social, or economic challenges, prioritising sustainable, community-driven interventions with tangible local benefits.

Eligible entities are strictly UK-registered charities and community groups delivering direct services in Hillingdon, favouring small to medium-sized organisations with strong local roots (incomes from thousands to hundreds of thousands annually; no formal thresholds). Unsolicited applications are not accepted—beneficiaries are pre-selected internally via Mayor-council consultations and announced in May, with no public deadlines or forms.

Grants typically range £2,000–£10,000 per charity (total annual distributions £10,000–£25,000), excluding core costs, overheads, or unrestricted support. This mayor-shaped, place-based model uniquely blends annual renewal, civic endorsement, and voluntary sector celebration, differentiating it as a highly targeted, publicly engaged funder.