Wakefield Trust

Wakefield Trust is an independent grant-making charity established in 1988 and registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Its core mission centers on funding conservation, heritage preservation, and specialist training initiatives, primarily within Devon and exceptionally elsewhere, with historic ties to the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. Governed by seven trustees with expertise in heritage, conservation, and finance, the Trust upholds values of integrity, practical skills advancement, and prudent stewardship, employing a cautious, evidence-based approach to bolster long-term sectoral resilience through targeted, influential grants rather than broad programmes.

It prioritises projects enhancing natural and built heritage, traditional skills, and educational capacity-building, such as apprenticeships, training seminars, and best-practice dissemination for conserving historic buildings, habitats, and local environments. Beneficiaries include conservation trainees, heritage professionals, and communities, with support for time-limited activities, project funding, and core costs like salaries or rent—explicitly excluding capital works or building restoration.

Eligible applicants are UK-registered charities or constituted community groups with at least one year's track record, proper governance, a bank account, and annual income preferably under £500,000. While historically Devon-focused, the 2025 Small Grants programme targeted organisations delivering over 70% of work in Tower Hamlets, Southwark, or the City of London. Grants typically range from £500 to £5,000 (averaging £3,000), applied for via email-submitted forms and documents to enquiries@wakefieldtrust.org.uk on a rolling basis during open windows. The programme is currently closed, with updates expected in September 2025. Distinctive for its niche expertise, selective philosophy, and avoidance of open calls or direct services, it differentiates through high-impact, skills-focused philanthropy.