Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust grants
Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust funds UK registered charities working in equine welfare and the relief of older people, and is moving away from inviting open applications.
Guidance last checked 22 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust is stepping back from open applications. Rather than inviting applications, it says it will focus on building relationships with previous beneficiaries and charities whose work closely aligns with its priorities. One route remains open: its how-to-apply page gives a deadline of 28th August 2026 for the next funding round, for equine applications only. Confirm that date before you rely on it. Applications can only be considered from UK registered charitable organisations. Equine welfare grants are normally only considered from charities that are members of the National Equine Welfare Council, or charities proactively working towards membership. The trustees look for capital projects or time limited specific projects, and are particularly interested in initiatives tackling the root causes of welfare issues. Its registered objects also cover promoting the relief of the elderly.
What they fund
The Charity Commission register records the trust under animals, disability, health and other charitable purposes. Its registered objects centre on equine welfare and the relief of older people.
Who and where
The register records it as funding throughout England and Wales, and lists older people among the groups it supports. Its own guidance restricts applications to UK registered charitable organisations.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Elise Pilkington 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
“The Trust is particularly interested in supporting initiatives that take a proactive and creative approach to tackling the root causes of welfare issues”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
“Trustees seek grant applications for projects which meet the Trusts funding criteria which should be for capital projects or time limited specific projects”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
Who they say they'll fund
“Applications can only be considered from UK registered Charitable Organisations”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
“Equine welfare grants are normally only considered from charities that are members of the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) or charities that are proactively working towards membership of NEWC”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
What they say they won't fund
“Rather than inviting applications, we will focus on building relationships with previous beneficiaries and identifying charities whose work closely aligns with our priorities”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
Deadlines they mention
“The deadline for applications for the next funding round will be 28th August 2026 (this is for equine applications only)”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
How they say to apply
“The Trustees generally meet twice a year in the spring and the autumn to review applications for grants”
Source: elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk — How to apply →
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
The objects of the CIO (the "objects") are:1) to prevent cruelty to equine animals, to relieve suffering and distress among such equine animals, to care for and protect such equine animals including live horses being transported country to country for butchery if such animals are in need of care and protection by…
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 Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust typically give?
It does not publish a typical grant size or a range. In its most recent published accounts it made £85,289 in grants to organisations.
What does Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust fund?
Its registered objects cover preventing cruelty to equine animals and relieving suffering and distress among them, including live horses being transported from country to country for butchery. They also cover promoting the relief of the elderly. The trustees seek applications for capital projects or time limited specific projects, and are particularly interested in initiatives that take a proactive and creative approach to tackling the root causes of welfare issues.
Who can apply to Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust?
Applications can only be considered from UK registered charitable organisations. For equine welfare, grants are normally only considered from charities that are members of the National Equine Welfare Council, or charities proactively working towards membership. The Charity Commission register records it as funding throughout England and Wales.
Is Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust open to applications?
Read its own page carefully, because it says two things. Rather than inviting applications, it will focus on building relationships with previous beneficiaries and identifying charities whose work closely aligns with its priorities. The same page gives a deadline of 28th August 2026 for the next funding round, which is for equine applications only. Confirm that before you rely on it.
How do I apply to Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust?
The trustees generally meet twice a year, in the spring and the autumn, to review applications for grants. Check the funder's own website (www.elisepilkingtontrust.org.uk) and its Charity Commission entry (charity number 1170847) for current guidance and whether it is accepting applications, as this is changing.
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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 Elise Pilkington Charitable Trust.