Pots of Gold

Name: Francis C Scott Charitable Trust

Contact details: Suite 3, Sand Aire House, New Road, Kendal, Cumbria LA9 4UJ. Tel 01539 741610, www.fcsct.org.uk

What is it? Created in 1963 by the family of Francis C Scott, the former chair of Provincial Insurance, the trust supports charities that address community deprivation in Cumbria and North Lancashire.

Who runs it? Grants are approved by a board of eight trustees. There is also a small administrative staff headed by director Chris Batten.

How much money does it give away? About £1m a year.

How big is each grant? Grants range from a few hundred pounds to several thousand pounds.

Who or what is the money intended for? Grants are available for both capital and running costs.

What kind of projects are eligible? Priority is given to projects aimed at young people aged between 0 and 19. In recent years, the trust has been particularly active in the fields of family support and youth work. There are three main priority areas:

• Projects aimed at children aged 0 to 5 and those who look after them such as parenting projects, respite for parents and recreational projects.
  
• Projects aimed at young people aged 14 to 19 such as personal development projects, work with young offenders, and work with talented teenagers.
  
• Projects that aim to ease the transition from primary to secondary school.

Who can apply? Grant recipients are almost always registered charities although applications may be considered from other organisations that provide charitable services combating community deprivation. Applications from national charities are only considered for projects within the trust’s geographical area.

How do I apply? Director Chris Batten advises potential applicants to ring first “because there’s no point wasting your time if the project is unlikely to be eligible”. Application forms are available by post from the above address.

When should I apply? Trustees meet three times a year to consider applications. The next two meetings are 8 July and 11 November. Applications for one-off grants of less than £5,000 can be considered and agreed between meetings.

How long does the process take? Batten visits every project before its application is put to the trustees. Applicants are usually informed of the trustees’ decision within two weeks.

How will the trust monitor our performance? “Projects fill in evaluation forms and submit annual reports,” says Batten. “But because we are a local trust we can afford to spend the time going around the projects and evaluating them informally.”