The Ashworth Charitable Trust provides small grants, nominally up to £5,000 but usually averaging around £3,000, for project-based work in the UK and overseas. The Trust gives priority to smaller UK charities. The Trust’s underlying principles are:
o The oneness of humanity.
o The establishment of true justice.
o The paramount importance of education for all.
o The need to address the situation of the very poor and of those at the margins of society.
o That all people everywhere should be able to share the fruits of and be empowered to participate in the construction of a just, prosperous and sustainable society, and
o That to achieve these aims, it is necessary to build the capacity of individuals, communities and institutions.
Humanitarianism is usually accepted to be “an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional reasons".
In the past, grants have been awarded to charities that are:
o Working with carers.
o Organising holidays for disadvantaged children.
o Providing youth clubs, especially in disadvantaged areas.
o Providing women's refuges, and
o Providing homeless shelters.
Funding is not available for:
o Animal welfare.
o Charities mainly involved in research, whether medical or otherwise.
o Charities which do not have a United Kingdom Registered Charity Number.
o Charities with a turnover of more than £1 million.
o Charities with disproportionately large reserves, unless there is an exceptional reason.
o heritage projects.
o Individuals.
o Museums, with the exception of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum.
o Non-humanitarian charities.
o Professionals representing individuals, unless they are applying from a registered charity.
o Projects promoting religious or political activities, or
o United Kingdom hospices (as the Trustees already sponsor a hospice of their choice within the South West region).
The Trust has two application deadlines each year, as follows:
1. 28th February annually for consideration at the Trust’s June meeting, and
2. 31st August annually for consideration at the Trust’s November meeting.
The next deadline for applications is therefore Wednesday 28th February 2024.
Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and an online application form is available on the Trust’s website.
