Eric Wright Charitable Trust Fund – Opportunities for Communities

For several years Lancaster District CVS has worked with the Eric Wright Charitable Trust, distributing grant funding to small grassroots community organisations across the Lancaster District.

The fund, which has just reopened for its 2024 round, provides grants of up to £500 for community groups, charities and social enterprises with income less than £50,000 a year. Nearly any project can be considered for a grant – it just needs to be something that makes “a positive difference to the lives and wellbeing of people of any age”.

Recent Eric Wright grants have provided money to groups like Bee Adventures for waterproof clothing, Fork 2 Fork for building raised allotment beds, Westgate Cricket U11s for new kit, and Wray Village Store for equipment in their community-run shop.

So if you’re involved with a community group that needs financial support for a new idea, why not give it a try? The application form is online, you can save and return to it as many times as you like before submitting, and we’re here to help if you have any questions.

This year, we’re making it even easier to apply, and successful organisations will get their grants more quickly. Groups that apply in January will find out the result of their application and receive their grant in February, those applying in February will hear in March and so on all the way up until the final deadline on 31 July.

Find out more and download full guidance at www.lancastercvs.org.uk/funding, where you’ll also see information about several other grant opportunities we offer for our local communities.

LDCVS is really proud to be working with the Eric Wright Charitable Trust. The charity is the sole owner of the Eric Wright Group, an award-winning leader in the UK property and construction industry, thanks to the gift of 100% of the Group’s shares by Mr Eric Wright.

The Trust now operates the group on its principles of sustained employment and community regeneration, with all profits either reinvested in the Group’s business or distributed for charitable activities across the North West. We’re grateful for this wonderful opportunity Mr Wright’s gift has enabled, and for the impact it has on our communities.