THE REES JEFFREYS ROAD FUND PROJECT GRANTS
Grants of up to £30,000 are available to UK registered charities, researchers and academic institutions for projects that promote the advancement of road-related research and education, as well as roadside improvement projects.
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o Application deadline: The deadline for Full Applications is FRIDAY 3rd OCTOBER 2025 for consideration at the Trust’s meeting during the week commencing Monday 20th October 2025. The first stage in the application process is to contact the Trust’s secretary, Ruth Bravery (contact details below), to register an interest in applying. The deadline for registering an interest is normally 6 weeks before the application deadline. This means that applicant should log their interest in applying with the Trust Secretary by FRIDAY 21st AUGUST 2025.
o Funder: The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund (founded 1950. Charity number 217771. Total value of all grants and bursaries awarded during the year ended 31 December 2024: £155,310 (2023: £214,195; 2022: £402,
o Who can apply: UK registered charities, charitable trusts, universities, academics, students or researchers (who must be based in the UK). Applicants will be expected to demonstrate a proven interest in roads and/or transportation.
o Key words: Road Safety, UK Transport Policy, Education, Research, Innovative Projects, United Kingdom.
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The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund supports research, education and roadside improvement projects that promote advances in road related UK transport policy, design, management and practice through grant support.
The Trust favours proposals which have national, rather than local significance and those which involve other funding partners. It welcomes proposals and ideas for innovative topics and projects and, from time to time, will identify areas of potential interest on its News page. A useful source of background and additional information about the Trust’s work can be found in its Annual Report.
The objectives of the Trust are (these should be reflected in any grant proposals):
o To contribute to the cost of lectures, studies and scholarship, and to fund bursaries for the pursuit of relevant post graduate transport qualifications, with the aim of promoting improvement of the design, layout and construction of public highways, and of adjoining land, in terms of safety, functionality and beauty.
o To promote and support projects that improve the roadside environment and enable greater appreciation of the countryside and open spaces.
o To encourage and deliver the improvement of existing, and provision of additional, public highways, bridges, tunnels, footpaths, verges, and cycleways…. in terms of safety, functionality, and beauty, and
o To support projects and initiatives that would demonstrably continue the life work of the founder in promoting the design, functionality, and appreciation of highways.
Grant awards are normally for between £5,000 and £30,000, with a few awards made outside of these grant parameters (generally for up to £50,000) for projects that can be delivered between 1 and 2 years from the date of award.
Grants are normally awarded against the following 3 priorities:
1. Educational projects.
2. Physical projects, and
3. Research projects.
During the year ended 31st December 2024, the charity awarded grants and bursaries totalling £155,310 (2023: £214,195).
A short description of initiatives supported during the year can be found on pages 2-6 of the charity’s annual accounts, together with a summary list including award levels on page 17.
Funding is not available for:
o Projects that are likely to lead to unsustainable or insensitive increases in traffic.
o Projects that include political campaigns or political campaigning as defined by the Charity Commission.
o Projects that include training or education products that are not to be made available free of charge to the target audience, unless the case for charging a fee is exceptionally strong and will not be a potential barrier to participation.
o Projects that relate to private land which does not allow free public access 24/7 over at least a 5-year basis.
o Projects that seek replacement funding or ongoing revenue support.
o Projects that take place on privately-owned roads.
o Projects with a focus outside of the UK.
o Projects that can be more appropriately funded by others (such as local or national government agencies or research or funding bodies), or
o Project which duplicate or are very similar to existing pieces of work.
The Trust operates a 2-stage application process, as follows:
1. Stage 1: contact the Trust’s secretary, Ruth Bravery (contact details below) to register an interest in applying. The deadline for registering n interest is normally 6 weeks before the application deadline.
2. Stage 2: applicants that successful pass Stage 1 will be invited to submit a Full Application.
The deadline for Full Applications is Friday 3rd October 2024 for consideration at the Trust’s meeting during the week commencing Monday 20th October 2025. This means that applicant should log their interest in applying with the Trust Secretary by Friday 21st August 2025.
Further information and guidance is available on the Trust’s website. The Full Application form is only released to applicants that are invited to apply to the Stage 2 (Full Application) phase.
Contact details for the Trust are:
Ruth Bravery
Secretary
The Rees Jeffreys Road Fund
22 Jetty Court
Old Bellgate Place
London
E14 3SX
Email: secretary@reesjeffreys.