The Andrew Wainwright Reform Trust Ltd takes its name from Andrew
Wainwright, a lifelong campaigner for radical reform who taught at
Hlekweni rural training centre in Zimababwe in 1970, a time when the
movement for freedom and democracy was gathering strength. A small book
of his diaries and letters from Hlekweni is available. He later
campaigned for the freedom movements in South Africa, Mozambique and
Guinea Bissau and other causes seeking improvements for those at
disadvantage closer to home.
The objectives of the Trust are framed in general terms to work for a
just and democratic society and to redress political and social
injustices. It is a wide ranging remit for reform, but the Trust will
prioritise groups or individuals that are ineligible for charitable
funding because they are considered too political or radical to come
within the Charity Commission’s guidelines. The Trust's approach is
similar to that of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust with which it
maintains informal links.
The Trust will support work undertaken at both regional
and national level and occasionally overseas. It may also consider
pioneering projects operating on a more local basis that have a
potentially wider impact.
The Trust normally gives grants only to groups or
organisations, but in exceptional cases it may consider an application
from an individual with proven experience or skill in their chosen field
or it may make a personal award to an individual in support of
outstanding commitment and effectiveness relevant to the Trust’s
interests.
As a general rule the Trust provides either specific project
funding or start up grants for a limited period to enable campaigns to
get off the ground and attract alternative sources of finance.
Size of grants
The Trust administers investments producing a grant budget that currently varies between about £60,000 and £75,000 a year.The majority of recent grants have ranged between £1,500 and £10,000. The Trust does occasionally make awards of larger amounts, but is constrained by the impact this has on its limited overall funds given the high numbers of applications received.
Because it cannot usually make large grants the Trust prefers to support organizations with an annual income/expenditure that does not exceed £250,000 approximately.
