On February 14 2022, The Charles Plater Trust (CPT) launched a £2.5 million grant programme which hopes to offer up to £500,000 in grants for good causes, annually, for the next five years.
On February 14 2022, The Charles Plater Trust (CPT) launched a £2.5 million grant programme which hopes to offer up to £500,000 in grants for good causes, annually, for the next five years.
The grant called on all registered charities who share its Catholic Social Teaching values to apply for grants for social action, lay leadership or applied research projects for up to £50,000 per grant.
Bishop Richard Moth, the new chair of the CPT said:
“It is significant and timely that we are extending the Church’s charity and social mission to all who care about making a difference in our increasingly divided and unequal society.
“We have been working hard over the last year to reorganise our finances so that we can make more of the legacy of the late Fr Charles Plater available for good causes.
“This is our biggest and most sustained programme of grant making ever, and I know that there are great partners out there for us to work with to make real the Church’s social mission across England and Wales on the 100th anniversary of the death of Father Plater.”
Cathy Corcoran, former CEO of the Cardinal Hume Centre, and the new chair of the CPT grant-making committee said:
“We’ve now got a challenging task to find the best of the best applicants to support. We judge each application on its respective strengths and go through a rigorous process to be as transparent and open about who we fund and why.
“Since 2008, we’ve funded 51 different projects and look for partners who care as much as we do about delivering high quality work that can evidence the difference made to vulnerable individuals, communities or create transformations in policy and practice. It’s a real privilege to help make a difference in this way.”
The Charles Plater Trust launched its 2023 large grants programme on 13 January 2023 with hopes to offer up to £400,000 in grants for domestic good causes.
The Trust is called on all registered charities, with annual income below £10 million, who share its Catholic Social Teaching values, to apply for a large grant of up to £50,000 for social action, lay leadership or applied research projects.
Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the CPT said:
“The new year stands before us, but the cost-of-living crisis has pushed many more into poverty and hardship in the UK. The Holy Father has reminded us at the start of a new year that we need to battle the virus of inequality and to ensure food and dignified labour for all. At the Trust, we are eager to partner with charities who want to respond creatively to these hard times to seek justice for people on the sharp end of these challenges. So let us welcome the new year, full of new possibilities to create justice.”
Cathy Corcoran, Chair of the CPT grant-making committee said:
“We’re so concerned about rising poverty here in the UK, that we’ve launched our large grants programme early this year and extended the window to apply, to do as much as we can to attract partners we can support to tackle the current crisis. The situation is quite simply unacceptable in the sixth wealthiest nation on earth with millions of people unable to afford the basics such as food and heating.”
The Charles Plater Trust (CPT) announced 15 new charity partnerships at its annual Grant Awards Celebration held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on Wednesday 21 June.
The Trust, which was established in 2006, has awarded more than £3 million to UK charities to date, with its Trust Manager and Board of Trustees working collaboratively with grant recipients to promote the common good, fight rising inequality and build social justice. Speaking shortly after the awards celebration, The Trust’s Manager, Philomena Cullen said:
“Charities and churches are at the frontline of the challenges facing our country, so we are delighted to welcome 15 new charity partners to the Plater Trust family.
“The Trust is awarding £442,800 in grants this year, supporting a range of vital inspiring initiatives tackling urgent social need with projects including ex-offender rehabilitation, homelessness, food poverty, mental health, modern slavery, and domestic violence. But what our most popular grant round ever has also taught us is that while charities are doing incredible work, they are also struggling with rising operational costs, more demand for their services, growing societal inequality and apathy for structural changes needed. We stand alongside our charity partners delivering social justice against these odds.”
The Jericho Foundation is one of nine large grant recipients, with their Birmingham based project receiving £49,000 to support vulnerable women and girls affected by modern slavery. Speaking about the impact of CPT’s grant, Louise Gore, a Senior Manager at the Foundation said:
“[CPT’s] award will make a valuable contribution towards our employment-focused work supporting survivors of modern slavery to recover, reduce their risk of re-exploitation and begin to look forward to their future with hope”.
Tempus Novo have also been awarded a large grant from the Trust, receiving £50,000 to support offenders and ex-offenders living in the East Midlands into employment. Steve Freer, the charity’s CEO said:
“[CPT funding will] further our mission to remove barriers to employment for people with convictions. This funding will allow us to help so many more people, and in doing so, the partnership will have a positive impact on society in so many ways. Having a good job means more than a salary to an ex-offender, it means stability, security, the feeling of self-worth and the ability to support your family. Put simply it’s life changing”.
Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of The Charles Plater Trust said: “Life is really tough for far too many of our brothers and sisters across the country. Millions are struggling with the ever-increasing cost of living, while the vast majority of families on Universal Credit cannot afford even basic items like food and clothing.
“If Fr Charles Plater were around today, he would be challenging us to do something about our unacceptable domestic poverty figures and rising social inequality trends. So, this year, our funding is focused on making a positive difference to the lives and life chances of hundreds of very marginalised people. Everything we do at the CPT is powered by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and ultimately the dignity of each and every person in our society.”
The Bishops recognise the complexity of the causes that bring about the crisis.
Ahead of the Government’s 2023 Autumn Statement, the Department for Social Justice has released a cost-of-living statement.
Caritas Social Action Network statement on the Autumn Statement.
