Peter Lang Children's Trust

Peter Lang Children's Trust, founded in 2003 by Swiss businessman Peter Lang, is an independent grant-making charity dedicated to supporting vulnerable babies and toddlers (from conception to age three) in Gloucestershire facing disadvantages from personal, social, or economic hardship. Drawing from the founder's vision to provide loving, nurturing, and harm-free early childhoods, the Trust emphasizes early intervention, secure attachment, parental capacity building, and prevention of damaging behaviors through evidence-based projects. Its place-based ethos prioritizes local partnerships with children's centres and community organizations to deliver targeted family support and developmental outcomes for those at significant risk.

The Trust funds direct services for at-risk babies, toddlers, and caregivers, including early years care, family support programs, and interventions promoting attachment and harm prevention—such as multi-year backing for nurseries like The Family Haven. Grants cover project delivery, associated core costs, and running expenses, favoring specialist grassroots providers responding to local needs in areas like Forest of Dean, North Cotswolds, and around Berkeley.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities and voluntary sector groups delivering in Gloucestershire (beneficiaries must reside there); no strict income limits apply, but preference goes to small-to-medium local organizations. Typical grants range from £15,000 to £40,000 per year, up to four years, paid quarterly, with multi-year extensions for strong performers.

Unsolicited applications follow a two-stage process: Expression of Interest (EOI) by 8 May 2025, then full applications by 17 July 2025 for decisions in September (funding from January 2026; annual rounds only). It excludes capital projects, statutory gap-filling, unlinked research, or non-evidence-based work, distinguishing itself through rigorous evaluation demands, long-term strategic funding, and unyielding focus on Gloucestershire's earliest years crisis.