Pilgrim Trust grants
Pilgrim Trust is a national family foundation giving circa £3 million a year across arts, heritage and other charitable causes throughout the UK.
Guidance last checked 16 July 2026· from the funder’s own website
Overview
Pilgrim Trust is a national family foundation (charity number 206602) funding charitable projects throughout the UK. It gives circa £3 million a year in grants, with a typical award of around £20,000. It funds arts, culture, heritage, environment and conservation, and other charitable purposes, and considers only one application per organisation at a time, with decisions made quarterly at Trustee meetings. Its Young Women in Mind programme offers grants of £200,000 to £500,000 over three years to UK charities already delivering therapeutic mental health services for young women.
What they fund
Pilgrim Trust funds arts, culture and heritage, environmental and conservation causes, and other charitable purposes, and also runs its Young Women in Mind programme supporting young women's mental health.
Who and where
It funds charities throughout the UK, including Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England and Wales, considering one application per organisation at a time.
Who they help
Where they fund
What Pilgrim 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.
Who they say they'll fund
“You are a UK registered charity (for at least three years) and already deliver therapeutic mental health services.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — Young women's mental health grants 2026-2028 - Pilgrim Trust →
“Must operate in either Northern Ireland, Scotland or the following regions of England: North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, the Midlands.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — Young women's mental health grants 2026-2028 - Pilgrim Trust →
What they say they won't fund
“Not be complete (we don't provide retrospective grants against contracts already let or work completed)”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — Grants at a glance - Pilgrim Trust →
Grant sizes they mention
“Grant size: £200,000 to £500,000 spread over three years.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — Young women's mental health grants 2026-2028 - Pilgrim Trust →
Deadlines they mention
“This programme opens on 11 May 2026. The deadline for stage one applications is 22 June. The deadline for stage two applications is 24 August.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — Young women's mental health grants 2026-2028 - Pilgrim Trust →
How they say to apply
“Each year, we give circa £3 million in grants for projects throughout the UK.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — Grants at a glance - Pilgrim Trust →
“Stage 1: submit key details about your project so that we can check its eligibility. You'll get a response within four weeks. Stage 2: set out your application in full. You can apply at any time within 12 months after a successful Stage 1 application.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — FAQs about applying for a grant from the Pilgrim Trust →
“No, we only consider one application at a time.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — FAQs about applying for a grant from the Pilgrim Trust →
“In general, decisions are made quarterly at our Trustee meetings.”
Source: thepilgrimtrust.org.uk — FAQs about applying for a grant from the Pilgrim Trust →
What a typical grant looks like
| Typical (median) grant | £20,000 |
|---|---|
| Middle half of grants | £10,000 – £30,000 |
| Grants published openly | 681 |
| Most recent published grant | 2024 |
Recent grants
- Moor Pool Heritage TrustMoor Pool Hall toilet roof repairs.£5,000December 2024
- Norwich Historic Churches TrustSt James Pockthorpe porch and nave cill repairs.£5,000December 2024
- MacDiarmid's BrownsbankBrownsbank Cottage Restoration.£15,000December 2024
- Textile Conservation FoundationMPhil Book and Paper Conservation at the Kelvin Centre: Inaugural bursaries for students.£20,000December 2024
- The National ArchivesArchives Revealed 2024-2029£300,000November 2024
- HERe NIMental health project supporting young LGBT+ women in Northern Ireland. It is focused on increased coping mechanisms and pathways to dedicated mental health support for young women.£99,991November 2024
From grants Pilgrim Trust publishes openly via 360Giving (the UK open grants-data standard), used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Their charitable objects
As registered with the Charity Commission (their formal purposes):
Such charitable purposes within great britain and northern ireland as the trustees may from time to time determine.
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 Pilgrim Trust typically give?
Across a recent sample of 681 grants, the typical (median) award was around £20,000, with the middle half of grants falling between roughly £10,000 and £30,000. Overall it gives circa £3 million a year, and its Young Women in Mind programme offers £200,000 to £500,000 over three years.
What does Pilgrim Trust fund?
It funds arts, culture, heritage and science, environment and conservation, and other charitable purposes. Its Young Women in Mind programme funds mental health support for young women.
Who can apply to Pilgrim Trust's Young Women in Mind programme?
Applicants must be a UK registered charity for at least three years that already delivers therapeutic mental health services, and must operate in Northern Ireland, Scotland, or the North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humber, or Midlands regions of England.
What won't Pilgrim Trust fund?
It does not provide retrospective grants against contracts already let or work that has already been completed.
How do I apply to Pilgrim Trust?
It uses a two-stage process: Stage 1 gives a response on eligibility within four weeks, and successful applicants can submit a full Stage 2 application within 12 months. Only one application is considered at a time, and decisions are made quarterly at Trustee meetings. Deadlines change — for example, its Young Women in Mind programme listed Stage 1 and Stage 2 deadlines of 22 June and 24 August 2026 — so always confirm current dates via the funder's website, www.thepilgrimtrust.org.uk, or its entry on the Charity Commission register (charity number 206602).
Is your charity a fit for Pilgrim Trust?
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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 Pilgrim Trust.