What is the St Helens General Charitable Trust?
The St Helens General Charitable Trust is a charity (Registered charity number 1076122) that is able to give grants to individuals and organisations that fulfil specific criteria.
The criteria are that the request for assistance fits the charitable objects and that the individual who lives in, or organisation that benefits those who live in a specific geographical area. See the shaded area on the maps below.
What are the Charitable Objects of the St Helens General Charitable Trust?
All or any of the following purposes:
a) The provision and support of facilities for recreation and other leisure time occupation, with the object of improving the conditions of life for the said occupants;
b) The provision and support of Educational Facilities;
c) The Relief of Sickness, the Aged, Impotent (meaning weak or vulnerable) and Poor;
d) The Advancement of Religions;
Or to establish or secure the establishment of a community centre (hereinafter called “The Centre”) and to maintain and manage or to co-operate with any local authority in the maintenance and management of such a Centre for the activities promoted by the association and its constituent bodies in furtherance of the above objects.
What is the geographic area that the trust covers?
The St Helens General Charitable Trust operates in the area that covers the historic ecclesiastical Parish of St Helens, St Helens. This historic Parish includes both the former Parish of St Helens, St Helens and the former Parish of St Andrews Denton’s Green, St Helens (before these two churches became part of Church St Helens).
The shaded area shows the ‘Town Centre’ (East) end of the historic parish of St Helen, St Helens.
The shaded area shows the ‘Dentons Green and Windle (West) end of the historic Parish
These maps indicate the areas by the shaded areas in which the St Helens General Charitable Trust operates.
The historic Parish includes both of the above shaded areas. It starts in the town centre, embraces the Hardshaw Estate behind the Town Hall and runs west and north up to Dentons Green and Windle Island. Schools and organisations inside the boundary include Parish CE Primary, St Mary and St Thomas Primary, Cowley International College, Bleak Hill Primary, YMCA, Hope Centre. Churches inside the boundary include Parish Church, Christian Life Centre, St Andrews, St Thomas of Canterbury etc. Note that individuals may apply to the Trust, and any organisation satisfying the charitable objects (not just churches & schools).
If your organisation is physically located within the shaded boundary, there is no problem. But if your organisation is outside the boundary (eg nearby Schools, or Churches such as St Lukes, St Marks North Rd, St Thomas Eccleston, Christ Church Eccleston etc) you need to provide written evidence that a significant number of your beneficiaries live within the historic Parish. It may still be possible to make a grant, provided that a significant number of people benefiting from your work are resident in the historic Parish, namely the shaded areas in the above maps. Obviously, we would not expect you to breach confidentiality and disclose precise addresses, but you would need to list street names or post codes where the beneficiaries live. This is to ensure that we remain within the Charity Commission regulations on our remit.
How can we apply?
Applications are made by email to the Trust Secretary here: StHelensGCT@gmail.com. Closing dates are the end of April and end of October each year. Trustees meet in June and December and will consider each application in turn.
Further guidance notes:
✓ All applicants must have a bank account.
✓ All Groups must have a constitution, governing document, or set of rules.
✓ Individuals (as opposed to Groups) applying for the first time must either provide a reference in writing from a person known to the Trustees, or they should speak to one of the Trustees about their application in good time before the meeting.
✓ Applicants are expected to make a contribution to overall Project Costs – this may be waived in exceptional circumstances.
✓ Supporting documents (details of what is required is on the application form) must be submitted with every application.
✓ The St Helens General Charitable Trust does not fund salaries, but applications for the cost of sessional workers may be supported.
Please download the relevant forms here:
Charitable Objects and Guidance