What We Fund
Our vision is that Westmorland is a place where everyone can reach their full potential, feel included and valued, and thrive as part of vibrant connected communities. We fund groups who are tackling disadvantage, strengthening resilience and improving lives in communities across Westmorland.
The Trust's current areas of interest is in work which:
- Supports improved mental health and wellbeing
- Helps people build connections and feel included
- Supports people and families facing complex challenges
- Helps people overcome barriers to developing skills, confidence, or accessing opportunities
- Helps to create strong and resilient rural communities
You can read more about what we’re interested in supporting under each of these themes below.
Please note that we updated our priorities and eligibility and exclusion criteria in March 2026. Applicants should read the information below to ensure your project, work and organisation are eligible - even if you have applied to the Trust before.
Supports improved mental health and wellbeing
We will fund work that help people improve their mental health and wellbeing. This includes support to help people to recover from mental ill health or to live well with a mental health condition. We will also fund work that helps people build skills, grow confidence, and connect with others to strengthen resilience.
Helps people build connections and feel included
We will fund work that help people feel less lonely, more connected or to have the opportunity to meet others facing similar experiences. This includes activities that help people connect with others, feel welcome in their community, and take part in local life.
Supports people and families facing complex challenges
We will fund work that supports people to rebuild their lives and move forward following a period of crisis or trauma. This includes activities which provide immediate help and support, and those which help people recover and build resilience so they can thrive into the future.
Helps people overcome barriers to developing skills, confidence, or accessing opportunities
We will fund activities that help people learn skills, build confidence, and reach their potential. In particular we’re most interested in work that aims to remove barriers linked to poverty, discrimination, or exclusion, in order to create fairer access to opportunity.
Helps to create strong and resilient rural communities
We will fund work that strengthens community and social infrastructure across rural communities. This includes activities that improve access to local services and community spaces (such as Village Halls*), brings people together, and helps rural areas stay strong and connected.
*Please note that capital projects relating to village or community halls and playgrounds, are only eligible to apply to our Small Grants Panel.
Who We Fund
We prefer to fund organisations that are registered charities. However, we will consider offering grants to organisations who are pursuing charitable objectives and make a demonstrable contribution to their community, providing their aims and constitution are clearly not for profit. The following requirements exist for all organisations who are not registered charities and we may ask you for further information.
Please also review our 'exclusions' listed below, and which have recently been updated. Please do contact the Trust if you are unsure.
Organisations who are not a registered charity will be asked to provide a copy of your governing document. This must confirm that you are:
- Not-for-profit
- Pursuing charitable purposes
- Contain a dissolution clause that outlines that assets (after the satisfaction of debts/liabilities) will be distributed to organisations with similar charitable aims, should the organisation close
Unregistered Community Groups:
If you are an unregistered group with charitable aims and your income is above £5,000 you should be registered with the Charity Commission or regulatory body that is appropriate for the structure you chose.
Community Interest Companies (CIC's) and Social Enterprises:
We recognise there are different types of social enterprise but expect your company to be Limited by Guarantee, with our preference to fund Community Interest Companies (CIC's). We will review your governing document to confirm that:
- There is an ‘asset lock’ or similar clause to ensure that on dissolution funds or assets can only be transferred to another asset locked body with similar objects
- The organisation does not have one or two directors who hold significant control or financial interest
- The organisation does not pay profits to directors, shareholders or members, including companies limited by shares, rather than reinvesting them for charitable purposes
- In addition, we expect that most of the company’s directors will be unpaid
Exclusions
Please review these carefully to ensure your project and organisation are eligible to apply. Contact the Trust Manager for further advice if you are not sure.
- Currently, we are not accepting applications from organisations who have an annual income over £1m (from your most recently published accounts).
- Currently, we are not accepting applications from organisations who have more than twelve months operating costs in unrestricted reserves (the only exception to this rule is for village halls and community centres). Please contact the Trust if you are not sure if this applies to your organisation or if there was an exceptional reason.
We will not usually support the following – if you are not sure, please contact the Trust Manager to discuss your project:
- Organisations with fewer than three unrelated committee members / trustees / directors
- Charitable organisations with an income over £5,000 who are not registered with the Charity Commission
- Organisations that pay profits to directors, shareholders or members including companies limited by shares, rather than reinvesting them for charitable purposes
- Funding for work or activities which have already taken place, or which will commence before a grant is awarded
- Statutory bodies (such as schools or hospitals) or for statutory services or activities
- We will consider applications for playgrounds managed by local authorities, town, parish, and community councils where the application is led by a community group
- Medical research, diagnosis or treatment
- We will consider applications that support non medical activity supporting people living with physical ill health (for example peer support or activities which help people live well with their condition or during recovery)
- Nursery and pre school education
- Annual or one off events, festivals and celebrations
- Individuals or expeditions
- Places of worship or the promotion of religion
- Animal/Wildlife/Heritage/Environmental causes
- Museums and Art Galleries
- National Charities - by which we mean charities operating from more than one location or region.
- We will consider national organisations who meet one or more of the following additional criteria:
- Are affiliated to a national charity but are based in Cumbria and have their own charity number
- Operate nationally but regularly deliver a demonstrable level of activity in Westmorland, for the benefit of residents of Westmorland
- Meet all other criteria, including income thresholds - noting that we consider the turnover (income) of the national body as a whole (not local groups where these are not constituted independently)
- Organisations who have previously applied to the Trust (whether successful or not) in the last twelve months.
Where We Fund
Applications are welcome from groups working in the area of Westmorland. This includes the old districts of Eden and South Lakes but excludes Barrow in Furness. Groups based outside this area can apply if their work benefits people in Westmorland.
If you operate nationally, or over more than one region, please see our exclusions criteria below to confirm your eligibility.
Types of Grant
We provide revenue grants for project or running (or core) costs. If you are applying for project costs, we encourage you consider the full cost of delivering the work in your application. For example, you may include a contribution to the overhead or indirect costs of running your project.
We also provide grants towards capital works. Applications for capital works to village halls, community halls and playgrounds can only be made under our Small Grants Programme.
Reapplying
If you receive a single year grant you are welcome to apply to us again one year after the date of application.
If you receive three consecutive single year grants you must wait one year from the end of your last grant year before reapplying.
If you have a multiyear grant, you must wait one year from the end of your last grant year before reapplying.
If you have applied unsuccessfully, you must wait one year from the date of the decision before you reapply.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The Frieda Scott Trust supports the mindful use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the work of the sector. We wish to be clear however, that we do not consider AI to be a substitute for the expertise, judgement, and knowledge of practitioners and communities, or our own team and trustees.
We use AI tools in our work —for example, to help with routine administrative tasks and internal document management. This helps us work more efficiently, enabling us to give more of our time to working directly in support of applicants and grant holders. AI is not involved in assessing or reviewing grant applications.
All applications we receive are read, assessed, and considered solely by our staff and trustees. We do not use generative AI in any part of the application or decision-making process. We believe that funding decisions should reflect human insight, the trust's guiding principles, and the local context of our mutual work and shared charitable objectives.
We support organisations exploring thoughtful, ethical uses of AI to enhance, rather than replace, professional expertise and community connection. We recognise that AI is an evolving tool and will regularly review our approach to, and use of, AI as it develops.
Please contact the team if you have any questions, concerns or queries.
Complaints and Feedback
Each year the Trust receives many more applications for funding than it can support.
We work hard to ensure that every eligible application for funding receives a full and fair hearing. However, should any applicants or beneficiaries feel that they have a grievance against the Trust, they should write to the Chair of Trustees (marked Private & Confidential) who will respond following a period of consultation.
Mrs. S Scott
Chair of Trustees
The Frieda Scott Charitable Trust
Stricklandgate House, 92 Stricklandgate
Kendal, Cumbria
LA9 4PU
