Bromley Trust

The Bromley Trust provides grants to UK registered charities that are working in the Trust's designated focus areas.

Funding is for charitable projects that are working to:

• Bring about positive social change through their work with people who are in need of human rights protection in the UK.
• Promote prison reform within the UK with particular emphasis on rehabilitation.

Objectives of Fund

The Bromley Trust reopened its funding programmes in July 2024 following a full review of its grant-making priorities.

As part of its updated strategy, the Trust will be working towards the following strategic goals:

• A society which respects the dignity and rights of marginalised people.
• A humane and effective prison system that supports people’s rehabilitation.

The programme will initially focus on supporting specialist charities working with people seeking sanctuary (refugees and asylum seekers) and people in prison.

The Trust will continue its historic approach of addressing immediate needs and seeking to achieve longer-term change. Therefore, it will prioritise charities that use the expertise gained from their frontline work to bring about wider changes, such as improvements to policy or practice.

Previous Success

Previously awarded charities include:

Human Rights

• The Association of Members of Independent Monitoring Boards.
• The Baobab Centre for Young Survivors in Exile.
• British Institute of Human Rights.
• Children and Families Across Borders.
• ECPAT UK.
• Kalayaan.
• Medical Justice.

Prison Reform

• Bounce Back Foundation.
• The Butler Trust Award for Education and Skills Training.
• Changing Paths Charitable Trust.
• Clean Break Theatre Company.
• Doncaster Community Arts.
• Mind in Camden.
• Music in Prisons.

Value Notes

Funding is at the discretion of the Trustees.

Grants range from £15,000 to £30,000 per year for up to three years. Most grants awarded are between £20,000 and £25,000 a year.

It is the Trust's preference to offer multi-year grants.

The Trust prefers to give unrestricted funding to small and medium specialist organisations whose work fits within the Trust's areas of focus.

Who Can Apply

UK registered or exempt charities with an income of between £100,000 and £1.2 million can apply.

Charities should have unrestricted reserves totalling between one month's worth and one year's worth of expenditure.

Applicants must:

• Demonstrate that they have a clear intent to bring about wider change, in addition to their service delivery work, and a plan for how they will seek to achieve this.
• Work collaboratively with others and have the expertise and ability to influence decision-makers and bring about improvements in policy or practice.
• Build meaningful relationships with the people they work with.
• Show a commitment to the involvement of the people they are working with in organisational decision-making.
• Explain the evidence base for their proposed approach and have a commitment to ongoing learning and reflecting on their impact.

Eligible Expenditure

Funding is available for the core costs of the organisation.

The charity's work must fall within one of the Trusts' focus areas:

Human Rights - The Trust's human rights programme is currently focused on funding charities working to protect the dignity and rights of people seeking sanctuary (refugees and asylum seekers) in the UK. There is particular interest in supporting work around immigration detention centres.

Priority will be given to organisations:

• Working with the most marginalised eg, people seeking sanctuary who are torture or trafficking survivors, women, children, or in detention, quasi-detention or temporary accommodation.
• With limited options to secure other sources of funding.

Prison Reform – The Trust aims to support charities working to bring about a more humane and effective UK prison system that supports people’s rehabilitation. Organisations must be working with people in prison in the UK.

Priority will be given to organisations:

• Working with the most marginalised eg, people in prison facing additional vulnerabilities or discrimination such as women, children, racially marginalised communities, foreign national prisoners, people who have committed sexual offences, people with disabilities or mental health needs, neurodiverse people and IPP prisoners.
• With limited options to secure other sources of funding.

How To Apply

Applications are considered twice a year, at the January and July board meetings, with application deadlines in September and March.

There is a four-stage application process:

• Stage One: Applicants must first complete an initial eligibility quiz. Eligible applicants will gain access to the Trust’s online application form. The deadline for applications is 26 September 2025.
• Stage Two: Applications will go through an initial assessment, and applicants will be informed if they have been unsuccessful. Applicants will be shortlisted by 10 October 2025.
• Stage Three: Shortlisted applicants will have an assessment meeting with the Trust's director. The meetings are expected to take place between 3 November and 28 November 2025.
• Stage Four: The Trustee meeting for final decisions will take place on 26 January 2026, with decisions expected to be communicated by 28 January 2026.

Guidance, FAQs and an online eligibility questionnaire are available from the Bromley Trust website.