Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust grants
Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust supports local charities in North East England, with grants generally awarded between £100 and £100,000 and a preference for capital projects.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust aims to meet the needs of North East England, where Dame Catherine grew up and lived much of her adult life. Trustees' present policy is to support local charities, that is within the North East of England, or those in which Dame Catherine had an interest and/or which have a local benefit. Grants are generally awarded between £100 and £100,000, though occasionally larger sums are donated where there are exceptional circumstances. Trustees prefer projects and schemes which involve or are directed towards capital expenditure. As a matter of general policy they do not consider applications which would involve the trust in core funding or ongoing financing. It does not provide funding for applications with a foreign element.
What they fund
Charity Commission records list Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust across education or training, environment and heritage, animals, disability, health, arts and culture, religious activities and general charitable purposes. Its objects are the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion, and any purpose beneficial to the community.
Who and where
The register records its beneficiaries as people with disabilities, children and young people, older people, and other charities and voluntary bodies, and lists it as working throughout England and Wales. Its own guidance says the Trustees' present policy is to support charities within the North East of England, or those with a connection to Dame Catherine's interests or a local benefit.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust says in its own guidance
Quoted directly from the funder’s own website, with a link to the page each quote came from. Always the most current word is theirs — check the source before you apply.
What they say they're looking for
“If you're in education and training, environment and conservation, arts and culture, as well as general charitable purposes, your organisation could be eligible”
Source: catherinecookson.com — The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
“the Trustees' present policy is to support local charities, i.e. within the North East of England, or those in which Dame Catherine had had an interest and/or have a local benefit”
Source: catherinecookson.com — Apply for support from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
“we aim to meet the needs of North East England, where Dame Catherine grew up and lived much of her adult life”
Source: catherinecookson.com — The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
What they say they won't fund
“The Trustees as a matter of general policy do not consider applications which would involve the Trust in core funding or on-going financing”
Source: catherinecookson.com — Apply for support from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
“nor does it in general consider personal applications or applications for Sports Clubs/Associations”
Source: catherinecookson.com — Apply for support from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
“The Trust does not provide funding for applications with a foreign element”
Source: catherinecookson.com — Apply for support from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
Grant sizes they mention
“Grants are generally awarded between £100 and £100,000 but occasionally larger sums are donated where there are exceptional circumstances”
Source: catherinecookson.com — The Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
How they say to apply
“The Trustees prefer projects/schemes which involve or are directed towards capital expenditure”
Source: catherinecookson.com — Apply for support from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
For the relief of poverty (b) for the advancement of education (c) for the advancement of religion (d) for any purpose beneficial to the community.
How to approach them
Start with the official sources — they’re always more current than any directory, including this one.
Common questions
How much does Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust typically give?
Grants are generally awarded between £100 and £100,000, but occasionally larger sums are donated where there are exceptional circumstances. In its latest reported financial year it made £917,532 in grants to organisations.
What does the Trust fund?
Its website says organisations working in education and training, environment and conservation, arts and culture, as well as general charitable purposes, could be eligible. The Trustees prefer projects and schemes which involve or are directed towards capital expenditure.
Who can apply?
The Trustees' present policy is to support local charities within the North East of England, or those in which Dame Catherine had an interest and/or which have a local benefit. The Charity Commission record lists the Trust as working throughout England and Wales, so its own policy is narrower than its registered area.
What won't the Trust fund?
As a matter of general policy the Trustees do not consider applications which would involve the Trust in core funding or ongoing financing. They do not in general consider personal applications or applications for sports clubs and associations. The Trust does not provide funding for applications with a foreign element.
How do I apply?
The Trust publishes an application form on its website. Check the funder's own website (www.catherinecookson.com) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 272895) for current guidance and dates, as processes can change.
Is your charity a fit for Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust?
Type your charity’s name and we’ll check this funder — and every other active UK grant-maker — against your purposes, your area and your size. Free, and nothing to fill in: we read your entry on the official register.
Check my charity’s matches — free →Thinking of applying? Start here.
Finding a funder is the easy part. These short guides help with the part that decides whether you get the money.
Contains public sector information from the Charity Commission for England and Wales licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and grants data from 360Giving used under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. Figures are derived (filtered and summarised by TrusteeMeetings), not republished unchanged. About the data · Terms of use. This page is a starting point for your own research, not a promise of funding, and is not endorsed by or affiliated with Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust.