What we do
Tudor currently funds over 500 organisations working to support positive changes in people’s lives and communities in the UK. We have committed more than £20m in grants in the financial year 2022/2023. We are now winding down our current grant-making and developing a new grant-making strategy to achieve our renewed purpose of funding organisations and the grassroots seeking racial, social and economic justice in the UK.
During this period we will not be considering any new grant applications.
We will remain actively engaged with our current grant partners and, our staff will continue to support the many organisations who have grants with us.
Developing our strategy
As part of our transformation process, we are addressing all aspects of the way we work: from creating a more independent governance structure, to revising our operational systems, policies and practices.
We are committed to ensure that the way we work aligns with an organisational culture that puts Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. We put this into action through our behaviours.
We are also committed to wider stakeholder engagement, and we are preparing ways to work with all our partners, particularly with our grantees, to ensure a learning approach to our strategy development.
As we work towards a total transformation, our commitment to strengthening smaller organisations and the grassroots remains at our core. In particular, as we develop our new grant-making strategy, we are building on the funding approaches that have long been embedded into Tudor: focusing on core funding, longer-term funding and a straightforward application process. We will also build on our character as an open, trusting and flexible funder - one that works on the assumption that the applicant is the expert in the work that they do.
We are also now pleased to be able to share our Staying Brave report authored by Stephen Bediako, Louise Mousseau and Fancy Sinantha which reimagines what a total asset approach could be for Tudor in the context of a transformation.
Grant-making
Tudor’s approach has been to provide a range of funding, including support for new organisations, support for marginalised groups and building social assets. Below are some representative examples of the organisations the trust has funded.
Support for new organisations
Including organisations advocating for debt justice, working to improve the criminal justice system and empowering local communities to make change happen:
- In 2015, the trust funded the start of Men’s Sheds UK which encourage people to come together to make, repair and repurpose items in their local communities. Men's Sheds works towards about improving wellbeing, reducing loneliness and combatting social isolation. Today the charity has grown to over 1,130 sheds across the UK.
- In 1998, the trust also supported the formation of CLINKS, who support the voluntary sector working in the criminal justice system through work in prisons and the community to help people turn their lives around. CLINKS started working with voluntary organisations in five London prisons and now supports over 1,700 organisations.
- Tudor funded Jubilee 2000 in 1996, which was set up to end unjust debt in developing countries and the poverty and inequality it perpetuates. Jubilee 2000 went on to launch the Debt Jubilee Campaign, which succeeded in debt cancellation for developing countries of $130 billion.
Support for marginalised communities
Including families of people in prison, destitute refugees and Gypsy and Roma communities:
- In 2016, Tudor funded NACCOM (the no accommodation network), who work to end destitution amongst people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants with no access to public funds. NACCOM works with over 130 frontline organisations across the UK, to increase the level of accommodation provision and support.
- From 2009, the trust has funded over 40 organisations who offer support to the Gypsy and Roma Traveller communities. This has included funding Armagh Roma Traveller Support, who works to preserve, promote and develop Traveller culture and identity of Traveller and Roma communities in Armagh, Northern Ireland.
- Tudor has also funded the building and renovating of several family prison visitor centres in the UK, which have been recognised as critical for encouraging family ties that are proven to reduce reoffending rates. The first was the building of HMP Edinburgh family visitor centre in Scotland. In 2009, the trust also funded the building of the HMP Wormwood Scrubs FamilySpace. This is a safe hub which offers a broad range of support for children and families across London affected by the imprisonment of a close friend or family member. Several other prisons adopted this model, and the trust also funded the building of the Visitors Centre at HMP Featherstone in Wolverhampton in 1995.
History of building social assets
Including the funding of several community-led housing projects, to address the lack of affordable housing in the UK in general, and to support vulnerable individuals and marginalised communities in particular:
- In 2022, the trust funded Homebaked Community Land Trust in Liverpool to transform a terrace into quality homes and commercial spaces at genuinely affordable rent. They are a group of local residents who shape the place where they live and work in community ownership.
- From 2006, the trust funded Older Women’s Co-Housing (who are a group of women over fifty) to build the social housing part of the first senior co-housing community in High Barnet, London.
- In 1991, the trust funded Leeds Action to Create Homes (Latch). Latch refurbishes derelict and run-down houses in the Chapeltown, Harehills and Burley areas of Leeds. Once homes are fully modernised and furnished, Latch provides supported housing for people who are homeless or in need of housing and who are ready to make a positive change in their lives.
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