Charles Burnett III Memorial Fund opens for charity grant applications

THE Charles Burnett III Memorial Fund, which is administered by Kent Community Foundation, is open for applications from charitable organisations.

The fund, in memory of Charles Burnett III, a generous philanthropist who lived near Lymington in Hampshire, opened in 2023 to support grassroots charities across Kent and Medway.

The fund was established by the family of the late Charles Burnett III, to support grassroots projects in Kent and Medway. As well as being the land-speed record holder for a steam-powered car and class II offshore powerboat champion between 1993 and 1996, Charles was also an enthusiastic philanthropist, supporting many worthwhile causes during his lifetime. This £1 million fund continues his charitable legacy, meeting the needs of future generations and providing a lasting memorial in Charles’s name.

The fund supports small charities and community groups who work with, service personnel welfare, the environment, heritage, education (particularly engineering/technology), and support those with neurodiversity. There is a particular (although not exclusive) interest in coastal communities and the fund will consider service delivery and capital costs, ongoing and new work.

Since opening, the Fund has supported 19 organisations across Kent, including We Are Beams in Hextable and the Margate Sea Cadets. The Fund has pledged to support charities in Kent until 2033.

In previous rounds of funding, We Are Beams, who support disabled children, young people and their families, received a grant to cover the cost of running one-to-one Advice Clinics and the Margate Sea Cadets, who help young people to become more confident and resilient, received funding towards their rent and utilities.

Kate Hart, Vice Chair of Unit Management Trust for the Margate Sea Cadets said:

“We were able to confidently carry out several activities as a direct result of this funding because it helped to cover unexpected increased costs, stabilise our finances and ensure that we did not start the new financial year with a deficit. Additionally, the grant has helped to boost the morale of our volunteer staff. They are obviously aware of the costs of running the Unit and it is also clear that the majority of fund-raising activities the cadets can do (such as street collections and sponsorship) do not meet those costs. By helping to ‘take the pressure off,’ the staff can concentrate on making more fun activities for the cadets and helping to raise the profile of the Unit.”

The Charles Burnett III Memorial Fund is one of over one hundred philanthropic funds managed by Kent Community Foundation. Applications for grants of between £5K and £25K are open now and will close on 25 February 2025. Organisations should note that if they are considering applying for £10K or more, they should contact Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact for Kent Community Foundation by emailing natalie@kentcf.org.uk first with a brief outline of their funding requirements.

To contact Kent Community Foundation about funding for charities and community groups, please visit: www.kentcf.org.uk/funding.