THE OLIVER FORD FOUNDATION

Grants, generally for up to £10,000, are available to UK charitable organisations supporting children, young people and adults with learning disabilities or learning difficulties, as well as the advancement of interior decoration, fabric design, decorative materials and landscape gardening.
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o Application deadline: none – applications may be made at any time in writing.
o Funder: The Oliver Ford Foundation (founded 1993. Charity number 1026551. Total value of all grants awarded during the year ended 5 April 2024: £158,198 (2023: £170,857; 2022: £139.095)).
o Who can apply: UK registered charities.
o Key words: Education, Training and Housing for Children, Young People and Adults with Learning Disabilities or Learning Difficulties, Interior Decoration, Fabric Design, Landscape Gardening, United Kingdom.
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Oliver Frederick Ford was an interior designer who was born in Bournemouth, Dorset on 19th June 1925. When Ford died in Lacock, Wiltshire on 17th October 1992, he had no heir and left his home, the Grade 1 listed Bewley Court, its contents and gardens, to ‘The Oliver Ford Foundation‘ to be opened to the public for their enjoyment in perpetuity, with all proceeds going towards the welfare of people with learning difficulties and learning disabilities.

The Oliver Ford Foundation (also known as the Oliver Ford Will Trust) applies its income and capital for the provision of grants to charitable organisations for:

o Education, housing and training for children, young persons and adults with learning difficulties, and
o The advancement of knowledge of the history and techniques of interior decoration, fabric design, other decorative materials and landscape gardening, including with reference to the work of Oliver Ford.

During the year ended 5 April 2024, the Foundation awarded 21 grants totalling £158,198 (2023: 20 grants totalling £170,857).

Grants, which were a mixture of new and repeat awarded, were mostly for between £1,000 and £10,000, with the occasional higher award. 

All awards made over the last two years are listed on page 15 of Foundation’s annual accounts.

Please note that the Foundation does not have a website. Further information is, however, available on the Charity Commission website.

Applications may be made at any time in writing, addressed to:

The Trustees
The Oliver Ford Foundation
The Oliver Ford Will Trust
MacFarlanes LLP
20 Cursitor Street
London
EC4A 1LT
(The Trust does not advertise an email address.)