Christchurch Magdalen Trust (Hospital of St Mary Magdalen)

Christchurch Magdalen Trust grants

Grants, typically from around £100 to around £10,000, to individuals and organisations to relieve severe financial hardship or help people who are infirm (including illness and mental or physical impairment) living in Christchurch, Dorset, or in some cases just outside it. Grants can be one-off or extend over a year or more for a continuing project. Most help now goes through front-line charities and organisations in the town; organisations need not be registered charities. A short first form establishes whether the applicant is likely to be eligible.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £100 – £10,000; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Light; short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

Individuals and families, and organisations whether or not they are registered charities, from a small informal group to a national charity
Those helped, directly or through an organisation, must live in Christchurch permanently or temporarily (for example in a safe house, hostel or placement by BCP or the probation service), habitually live in Christchurch with no fixed address (for example homeless people), or live just outside Christchurch where it is impracticable to get help elsewhere because of poor transport links or another overriding reason; for organisations, people who have moved away while receiving help can also count where moving the help would harm them. 'Christchurch' is the former borough: Highcliffe, Walkford, Mudeford, Stanpit, Somerford, Purewell, Burton, Christchurch Town, Fairmile, Jumpers and Hurn, most but not all of the BH23 area
Individuals must be in severe financial need and unable to afford necessities and/or suffering hardship through illness or infirmity
Organisations covering a wider area, doing only partly eligible work, not assessing beneficiaries' finances, or not registered as charities may need a bespoke arrangement

What it funds

Grant aid that must:

Alleviate severe financial hardship; and/or
Help people who are infirm, used in its widest sense to include illness or those with mental or physical impairment

for individuals, a grant could for example be for day to day necessities, a disability or medical aid, respite care, or something else that would reduce suffering or distress. Grants to organisations could be one-off or designed to extend over a year or more with the expectation of further funding to help a continuing project

What it will not fund

People living outside Christchurch, except in the limited cases described
Counselling (for individuals)
Furniture, household goods or carpets for individuals, until an approach has been made to The Christchurch Furniture Project at Christchurch Foodbank+ or a similar charity such as Dorset Reclaim
Urgent financial help under £200 for individuals, which should go first to Christchurch Foodbank+ or the Christchurch Community Partnership Hardship Fund

How to apply

Choose the individuals or organisations route on the Apply page
Complete the short online form and submit it, or download the form, print and complete it, and return it by email or post to the Clerk (or ask the Clerk for a paper form)
The Charity tells you whether you are likely to be eligible
If so, it assesses how best to proceed and asks for further information; a visit by the Clerk is often necessary for individuals

the first form is only to see whether you are likely to be eligible; more detailed information may be requested depending on the application and the sum involved

Have ready

Completed application form (organisations: type of organisation and charity number if any, what the money is for, who will benefit and the amount, and efforts to obtain money from other sources)

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