The Hadley Trust grants: what they fund and how to apply
"The Hadley Trust is a family grant-making charity (no. 1064823) that funds UK charities helping disadvantaged people, with a strong interest in criminal justice and young people. It has no public website or open application form, prefers long-term relationships with a few partners, and does not take on many new commitments."
What the Trust funds
The Hadley Trust supports registered UK charities that create opportunities for people who are disadvantaged — through financial help, project and support work, or research into the causes of hardship. Its Charity Commission entry lists broad purposes, including the relief of poverty, disability, health and saving lives, and community development.
Two areas are reported to stand out: criminal justice and young people — though this specific framing comes from a funder directory rather than the Trust’s own annual report. It has also backed hospices, medical causes, disability, local community work and some international projects, and it funds the Hadley research programme on the wellbeing of children in care, now based at the University of Oxford’s Rees Centre (previously at the University of Bristol, 2000–2019) — confirmed via the Rees Centre’s own pages. Trustees say they aim to balance charities that work on policy and system change with those delivering services on the ground.
How much you can apply for
The Trust does not publish a formal grant range. In the year to 31 March 2025 it made roughly £4.34m in grants to organisations (Charity Commission). One funder directory reports an average grant of around £45,000, but the Trust does not confirm this itself, so treat any single figure as a rough guide rather than a promise.
Who can apply
Funding goes to registered UK charities, mainly working throughout England and Wales. The Trust tends to prefer smaller charities where it can build a meaningful, long-term working relationship, and it values both frontline delivery and policy work. It does not make grants to individuals.
Deadlines and rounds
There are no fixed deadlines and no application rounds. Proposals are considered on a rolling basis. However, the Trust states it has become more focused on a small number of chosen partners and does not take on many new funding commitments, so in practice new grants are limited.
How to apply — an honest note
There is no open application scheme, no online form and no public website. The Trust says it will always consider and respond to new proposals, but it is effectively selective and relationship-led. If your work is a close fit for criminal justice or young people, make brief contact first. The registered address is Gladsmuir, Hadley Common, Barnet EN5 5QE; the register lists phone 020 8447 4577 and email carol@hadleytrust.org.
Tips
- Only approach if your work clearly matches criminal justice or young people, or another stated priority — a scattergun approach will not help.
- Keep first contact short: say who you are, what you do, and why you fit, before sending a full proposal.
- Frame your ask as the start of a longer relationship, not a one-off, and show evidence of impact.
- Be realistic — the Trust says it takes on few new commitments, so treat a grant here as a bonus, not a plan.
Official source and last updated
Details here are drawn from the Charity Commission register and public funder directories. The Trust has no website of its own. Last updated: July 2026. Check the current entry on the Charity Commission register (charity 1064823).
Recent grants
[Theme renders recent awards automatically from 360Giving/GrantNav data where available — do not hand-write.]
Similar funders
- Barrow Cadbury Trust — criminal justice and social justice funder.
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation — social change and disadvantage.
- Paul Hamlyn Foundation — young people and social justice.
Check if your charity is eligible for funders like this — CharityIQ’s free Grant Finder matches your charity to real, published UK funders and cites the source for each. → /grant-finder/
Frequently asked questions
There is no open application scheme, no online form and no public website. The Trust works closely with a small number of chosen partners and says it does not take on many new funding commitments. It states it will always consider and respond to new proposals, but realistically it is selective. Contact the office directly before sending anything.
It funds UK charities that create opportunities for disadvantaged people. Criminal justice and young people are reported as its two particular areas of focus, though that framing comes from a funder directory rather than the Trust's own annual report. It has also supported disability, poverty relief, hospices, medical causes, local community work, some international projects, and research — including the Hadley research programme at the University of Oxford's Rees Centre (previously at the University of Bristol, 2000–2019), confirmed via the Rees Centre's own pages.
The Trust made about £4.34m in grants to organisations in the year to 31 March 2025 (Charity Commission register, re-confirmed 11 Jul 2026). One funder directory reports an average grant of around £45,000, though the Trust does not publish a formal grant range itself, so treat that single figure as indicative rather than confirmed.
It funds registered UK charities, mainly working throughout England and Wales, and tends to prefer smaller charities where it can build a meaningful working relationship. Both policy-focused and frontline service charities have been supported. It is not a source of grants for individuals.
The Trust has no website. Its registered address is Gladsmuir, Hadley Common, Barnet EN5 5QE. The Charity Commission register lists the phone number 020 8447 4577 and email carol@hadleytrust.org. Make brief contact to check fit before sending a full proposal. (Contact details re-confirmed current on the Charity Commission register, verified 11 Jul 2026.)