We offer grants in two areas: performing arts and conservation
As trustees we meet three times each year and at each meeting have an allocation of around £30,000 for performing arts projects and £30,000 for conservation projects.
We will consider offering grants up to £5,000 but, because of demand, £5,000 grants are exceptional. In 2019 we received 302 applications and awarded 84 grants totalling £175,300. The average grant was £2,000.
Performing Arts
Our priorities for music, theatre and dance are:
- Excellence in professional performance;
- The production and performance of new work;
- The development of young, professional artists aged 18 or over.
We aim to achieve a broad balance between music, theatre and dance projects, and take into account the number and location of the audiences and/or individuals likely to benefit.
We do not normally fund:
- projects that will commence less than six weeks from the published date of the decision meeting concerned
- amateur/non-professional performance
- general arts programmes submitted without specific details of activities and events
- training and development projects aimed at under 18 year-olds
- projects with the primary purpose of health, therapy or social welfare
- visual arts projects
- capital developments at arts venues or purchase of equipment
- recording projects
Conservation
We support the conservation of historic objects, collections and features of buildings and designed landscapes which are pre-Victorian in date, i.e. pre-1830s.
In the case of churches, we will consider supporting the conservation of items such as monuments, wall paintings, stained glass, and historic furniture and fittings.
We prefer to give grants to smaller projects, or specific elements of projects, where our contribution can have a greater impact.
Projects may include conservation surveys and preventive measures as well as remedial work, and we will consider grants towards the acquisition of items for collections.
We do not normally fund:
- structural repairs to buildings;
- new buildings or the installation of modern facilities and services;
- general appeals for funding without details of specific, eligible works
- displays and exhibitions;
- general heritage education, outreach and audience development projects;
- organ conservation, unless instruments are substantially pre-1830s in date and the aim is to conserve an original action and casework;
- bell restoration projects, unless the bells and their fittings are substantially pre-1830s in date and the aim is to conserve these as far as possible, consistent with safe use.
We are unable to fund:
- Buildings and objects in private ownership;
- Schools and school buildings;
- Natural environment and wildlife projects;
- Health, medical or social welfare projects;
- Projects promoting religion.
The Trust does not have an application form but each application to the main grants programme should be accompanied by this single page cover sheet here which includes your consent to us holding your personal data for the purpose of processing your application [data privacy].
Please complete and sign the sheet and return it with your application, whether submitting it by post or by email.
Applicants must be UK registered charities, public authorities or public institutions. We do not accept applications from Community Interest Companies (CICs) or individuals.
There is no need to supply copies of your organisation’s annual reports and accounts unless these are not available online at Companies House, the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
Your application, maximum 3,000 words, should include (for performing arts or conservation projects as appropriate):
- a project description
- timetable: performance dates or programme start/end dates
- number of people who will benefit: e.g. projected audiences, young artists, annual visitors
- intended outcomes
- outline budget for the project
- the amount you are requesting
- indication of likely funding from other sources
For applications made by email, the maximum file size for attachments is 8MB.
Applications for conservation projects should be accompanied by a professional conservation assessment report and/or evidence that work will be carried out by appropriately qualified and experienced professionals.
For conservation applications please also supply at least one good digital image – separate from the conservation report – of the building or item that is the subject of the application.
Applications by post should be sent to: The Grants Director, 105 Greenway Avenue, London E17 3QL. Applications by email should be sent to info@lechetrust.org. Please note that there is not someone in the office every day, so ‘signed-for’ post may be delayed.
We will aim to acknowledge receipt of your application within 5 days. If you need further advice before making an application please contact the Grants Director, either by email to info@lechetrust.org or by telephone on 020 3233 0023.
Timetable
Trustees meet three times a year to review applications. In 2022 the meeting dates, and the deadlines for submitting applications, are:
Autumn meeting – Wednesday 9 November
Deadline Friday 23 September
Please note that we are unable to accept applications after the deadlines unless there are exceptional reasons for the delay. We suggest that you refresh your browser to ensure that you are seeing the most up-to-date information.
You can read the Leche Trustees’ full data privacy policy here
Applying again
Performing arts organisations that have received a grant will not normally be considered for a further grant until 36 months have elapsed since the date of the meeting at which the grant was awarded. If your application was unsuccessful you may apply again whenever you wish.
