Mission Statement:
The charity seeks to support the charitable activities of organisations and individuals for such charitable purposes (for the public benefit) as are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales as the trustees may from time to time determine.
Its objects include provision of support for any registered charity or to further any charitable purpose as is recognised by the Charity Commission chosen by the Trustees.
Who:
The charity is a private grant-making charity set up in 2007 by the law firm, Harrison Clark Rickerbys. It has raised over £250,000 since inception.
What:
The HCR Hewitsons charity supports activities and initiatives run by organisations or individuals – including charities and community groups – that deliver benefit to the local communities in which HCR staff or clients, live and work. Its aim is to deliver benefit in one or more of the following qualifying categories:
- Education: support of educational opportunities, particularly for disadvantaged individuals.
- Healthcare: benefit to health and relief of sickness or suffering, particularly in respect of children and adults suffering from incurable illnesses.
- Community: support for community facilities (e.g. community spaces and activities) with the aim of improving the lives of local people with particular need due to age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
- Environment: support for bodies or individuals who help to improve the environment in which the firm (Harrison Clark Rickerbys) operates.
Any application for funding must fit within one or more of these categories. Applicants for funding will be asked to specify clearly, as part of the application process, which of these categories apply to them in order to receive the Trustees’ consideration. It must be noted that consideration by the trustees does not guarantee provision of grant funding.
In awarding grants, the Trustees will consider requests from any geographical area within the United Kingdom, but applicants should ideally give evidence on how they will provide specific support to individuals or projects.
The Trustees are agreeable to working in partnership with other grant making bodies where funding for a project is beyond the scope of any single organisation.
Where & how:
To apply for funding, applications should be made in writing addressed to the Trustees to include:
- An overview of the charity organisation making the request, including a summary of how the grant will advance one or more of the charity’s priorities for funding as per the above categories;
- Full details of the amount of funding being applied for (we have a maximum single grant limit of £10,000 but will consider exceptional requests);
- Confirmation of any other funding, matched or otherwise, that has been applied for or confirmed;
- An approximate timeframe within which the funding is required;
- Specifics of how the grant will be used and managed;
- Understanding of whether the recipient of the funding will allow HCR to publicise its donation;
- The applicant’s full contact details.
Occasionally the Trustees may ask for more information or wish to visit you to learn more about the project. You will be contacted if that is the case.
Applications should be submitted to: HCR Hewitsons Charity, c/o Harrison Clark Rickerbys, 5 Deansway, Worcester, WR1 2JG, email address louise.ruane@hcrhewitsonscio.org.uk
The Trustees meet twice yearly, usually in May and November, applications should be received no later than the month prior to the meeting.
A letter of acknowledgement will be sent confirming details of the next scheduled meeting of the distribution committee (who make the recommendations to the Trustees) at which the application for funding will be considered.
If an applicant is awarded a grant, the Trustees will:
(a) set out the key terms of the grant and any conditions that are attached to it in a letter; and
(b) ask the applicant to sign the grant letter to indicate that they accept the terms and conditions.
If the trustees decide not to award the grant, the Trustees are not obliged to give the applicant reasons for their decision.
Due Diligence:
- The Trustees will carry out sufficient due diligence to ensure that the request for funding meets the charitable purposes of the charity.
- The trustees will carry out sufficient due diligence on any potential beneficiary to confirm the identity of the beneficiary, that the funds are applied in accordance with the charity’s charitable purposes, and that the funds are not knowingly used for:
- money laundering, or
- terrorist financing, or
- bribery.
- Due diligence may include requesting details of, and taking such steps as the Trustees consider to be reasonable to scrutinise, any of the following:
- the applicant’s governing documents
- (if applicable) the applicant’s status as a charity, including evidence that the applicant has been registered with the Charity Commission
- the applicant’s latest accounts and financial position
- the identity of the applicant’s trustees, directors, executive committee or other key personnel, to seek to establish in particular whether they are authorised to act in that capacity
- the applicant’s governance and operational structures and practices
- the applicant’s internal financial controls
- relevant operational policies and procedures that the applicant has in place (including, but not limited to, safeguarding children and vulnerable adults)
- any external risk factors which might affect the proposal.
- In cases where the applicant will receive support from another funder, the Trustees may undertake due diligence on that funder.
- The Trustees will keep a written record of any due diligence that they undertake.
Reporting requirements and monitoring
The Trustees will take steps to monitor the use of the grant and verify that the grant is used for the purposes that have been agreed. The arrangements for monitoring will vary according to the nature of the grant, but the trustees will always seek to ensure that the arrangements are appropriate and proportionate.
Arrangements for monitoring use of the grant may include asking the beneficiary to provide any of the following:
(a) Copies of the formal records such as receipts, invoices, bank statements and management accounts, to show that funds have been used for the purpose for which they have been awarded;
(b) Regular written or verbal updates showing progress to date, summarising key achievements or problems encountered, indicating whether targets have been met and giving reasons for any delay in implementing work funded by the grant;
(c) A final written report on completion of the work funded by the grant, showing how funds have been spent, evaluation where the work has been successful and identifying lessons that can be learned; and
(d) Information about any proposed changes to the proposed activities.
If appropriate, the Trustees may also visit grant-funded activities and interview individuals involved in running those activities.