Anne Duchess of Westminster was the widow of Bend’Or, 2nd Duke of Westminster, who died in 1953. She had a lifelong interest in horses and was well known as the owner of the champion steeplechaser ‘Arkle’. In 1995 Anne Duchess set up the Anne Duchess of Westminster’s Charity which became the principal beneficiary of her will following her death in 2003. Between then and 2020 the Charity made grants totalling in excess of £3 million.
During this period the Charity and the Westminster Foundation worked closely together, sharing information, resources and collaborating with regards to grant-making. In 2020 they decided to a mutually beneficial transfer of the Charity’s assets to the Foundation. This natural evolution saw the creation the Anne Duchess of Westminster’s Fund, in 2021, which sits within the Westminster Foundation’s structure and is managed by its Trustees and team members.
We support a range of charitable projects which improve people’s mental health and wellbeing, including counselling services, equine therapy, therapeutic activities and peer support groups.
Example organisations we have previously supported in this area are:
We work closely with charity and volunteer services organisations and community foundations to efficiently direct our funding to community projects where it is most needed and where we believe it will have the greatest impact. These include community centres, food poverty relief, community transport schemes, volunteering costs, youth clubs and play projects and health roadshows.
Example organisations we have previously supported in this area are:
We support projects that connect and provide companionship, befriending, practical support, equipment and activities to the isolated and lonely living among our communities.
Example organisations we have previously supported in this area are:
We support organisations who work closely with disadvantaged or hard-to-reach groups to provide a variety of education and training opportunities. The target beneficiaries can include people struggling with socio-economic hardship, access to education, learning difficulties and those living in rural areas with poor transport and little access to general services and facilities.
Example organisations we have previously supported in this area are:
We work with charities who support those with poor health or a disability of any age, as well as the caregivers. These include the provision of therapy services, activity and support-based projects, outreach support, mobility and therapy equipment and cancer support services.
Example organisations we have previously supported in this area are:
For further details of previous funding please visit the Charity Commission website.
For further information about funding for organisations that provide sustainable help and direction to children, young people and their families, please visit the Westminster Foundation.
If you meet the criteria to apply for funding, please open and complete this form.
Anne Duchess of Westminster’s Fund
Eaton Estate Office, Eccleston, Chester CH4 9ET