
About the Trust
The Headley Trust was established under a Trust Deed dated 4 July 1973 and became a registered charity on 20 February 1974. There are six trustees on the board, all with differing expertise and interests.

What we fund
Arts & Heritage UK
- Regional museums and galleries (including local authority museums); curators; acquisitions; display, study, acquisition of British ceramics; industrial, maritime, built heritage conservation; archaeology; arts education digitisation and outreach. Repairs and restoration for pre-1850 Anglican cathedrals.
- The Headley Museums Archaeological Acquisition Fund runs alongside and in collaboration with the Arts Council England / V&A Purchase Grant Fund. You can find out more and apply here: The Headley Museums Archaeological Acquisition Fund.
Health & Social Welfare
- Support for older people to live independently or improve their quality of life in residential care; projects that help disadvantaged families and young people, especially with access to basic needs, parenting, young people with experience of the care system and strengthening educational engagement.

Overseas
- Projects by local organisations led by local experts, looking to trial and scale programmes beyond their immediate locality, focusing on education and employment interventions for women and girls; water, sanitation and hygiene and community health programmes in the poorest anglophone countries in Africa (Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Uganda, Zambia). A reference or partnership with a verifiable stakeholder with whom the organisation works or receives funding from, is required.
- Arts & Heritage projects in South Eastern Europe; conservation/recording of heritage; programmes building capacity in the cultural heritage sector and engaging young people in their heritage. These grants are made by The Headley SEE Cultural Heritage Fund which is funded by the Headley Trust and administered by the Balkan Museum Network. Please apply directly to The Headley SEE Cultural Heritage Fund.
Education
- Apprenticeships and bursaries to institutions that offer training in conservation and heritage skills for UK students. We do not fund individuals.
- Dance and music bursaries for UK graduate and post-graduate students.
- Primary school music tuition support.
What we don’t fund
- The Trust does not fund parish churches.
- The Trust does not fund individuals, expeditions or fees.
- Within its cathedral funding the Trust does not support education centres, conferences, exhibition or heritage spaces, organs, clocks, bells, plumbing, kitchens or heating.
Grantmaking process
The Headley Trust identifies many of the organisations it chooses to support through its own research.
The Trust accepts initial enquiries in defined areas. These are described here: Guidelines for the Headley enquiry form.
After reading the guidelines, please submit your enquiry using the link below if you believe your project reflects Headley’s areas of interest. Please do not email any additional information.
Our Annual Reports are available on the Charity Commission website.
Staff
- Helen McLeod – Lead Executive
- Karin Hooper – Executive
- Matthew Williams – Executive
- Jo Temple – Executive
- Samantha Dolke – Senior Finance Partner
- Kaska Segieda-Salski – Trust Administrator
Contact us
Contact us at headley.trust@sfct.org.uk.
