Who do we support?
Applicants must be organisations registered with one year of filed accounts with the Charity Commission in England & Wales or Office of the Scottish Charity Register in Scotland.

Which activities do we support?
Due to the ever evolving, fast changing and overwhelming demand for funding, EKCT has decided to redefine the areas of work that will be considered for funding.
Please only make an application for funding if the work of the charity falls within the following areas:
For charities serving beneficiaries in Sussex:
Youth
- Youth Clubs – provision of spaces and opportunities for young people to relax, have fun, learn new activities and connect with others. Applications from groups such as the scouts, guides & cadets (which are registered charities) are welcomed where the charity operates in an area of high deprivation, and funding is requested to assist those who are otherwise unable to afford to take part in activities.
- Youth Counselling & Bereavement – provision of emotional support and professional counselling to young people in need, or young people who have been bereaved.
- Education & Employability – provision of support to young people to overcome barriers to education, training and employment.
- Young Carers – provision of emotional and practical support for young carers
Elderly
- Loneliness & Isolation – provision of support for older people at risk of social isolation
- Dementia – provision of support for people with dementia, their families and carers.
Disability
- provision of support to enable those with physical, learning or complex disabilities to overcome barriers to social and other activities. Support is restricted to charities that provide activities and opportunities for beneficiaries with a broad range of disabilities rather than specific conditions.
Community Welfare
- Community projects – funding will be prioritised to those charities providing support to people and families living in the areas of highest deprivation in Sussex, including Brighton & Hove, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Crawley, Adur, Hastings, Bexhill, Eastbourne and Newhaven. Projects should provide broad long-term support to help people move out of poverty i.e. beyond provision of a food bank.
- Homelessness – provision of immediate and rehabilitative support to those who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, including day hubs & night shelters, food, clothing & laundry services, and provision of support workers.
Hospices
- Funding is provided for a small number of Sussex hospices which have a long-standing relationship with EKCT.
Environmental
- Sussex based projects which encourage interest and activity in environmental work, educate young people on the importance of environmental work, or directly protect flora or fauna in Sussex.






Other – not restricted to charities operating in Sussex:
UK & International based wildlife & environmental conservation projects – scalable projects which directly address threats to endangered flora or fauna.
International reproductive health family planning projects – funding is restricted only to reproductive health projects which have a clear and intended impact on the environment and are delivered in Africa or Asia.
Please note that regrettably Trustees are no longer able to provide support for the following activities (further areas are outlined below):
- Support for people and families with specific medical conditions or health issues
- Support for people overcoming addiction
- Support for carers other than young carers
- Support for those overcoming abuse
- Support for those leaving prison
- Charities providing volunteer and other support for other charities
What type of work do we support?
Funding will be considered for:
- Start-up costs for a new project within an established organisation
- Core costs
- A specific project (capital expenditure or assistance with running costs)
- Unrestricted funding where all of the charity’s activities fall within EKCT’s funding remit, as above.
Case Studies
For a small selection of case studies and a full list of EKCT grantees, please click here.
How often do we provide support?
Trustees will consider one application from an applicant within 12 months.
Applying
After taking the eligibility questionnaire, if you meet the criteria the applications can be found here:
Application Forms



What we do not support
The following are unlikely to be considered for funding:
- Individuals or charities applying on behalf of individuals.
- Large national charities having substantial fund-raising potential, income from legacies and or endowment income.
- Organisations which have been registered with the Charity Commission or Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator for less than a year.
- Charities which are wholly or very significantly funded by local authority, parish council or statutory funding.
- Pre-school groups.
- Out of school play schemes including pre-school and holiday schemes.
- Charities not funded by any other charity.
- Local authorities.
- ‘Campaigning’ organisations.
- Charities whose main aim is to raise funds for other charities with substantial cash reserves.
- Animal rescue or animal welfare organisations.
- International food security, farming or agriculture projects.
- Arts or community engagement projects.
- Medical research.
- Community Interest Companies (CICs).
- Given the Trust’s strong links with the county of Sussex, Trustees do not usually support proposals received from other regional ‘Wildlife Trusts’.
- Churches and places of worship outside of Cuckfield and Haywards Heath – please note; even within Cuckfield and Haywards Heath, grant opportunities for these purposes are extremely limited.
- Charities with multiple branch offices in Sussex are requested to telephone or email for advice before making an application.
- Citizens Advice across the county
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have questions or would like more information please see our FAQs

