The Kings Award for Voluntary Service
September 13, 2024

The Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund

The Fund is a Registered Charity established in 1993 with The late Queen’s consent to benefit a wide range of causes throughout the County Palatine of Lancaster – in effect, the
three counties of Lancashire, Greater Manchester & Merseyside.

In Lancashire, the Fund is administered from the Lieutenancy Office in County Hall, Preston to which all requests should be made by completing a brief application form which can be found following this link: https://www.lancashire-lieutenancy.org/your-lieutenancy/duchy-benevolent-fund/. Generally, applications are considered at the end of the month in which they are received.

The Fund’s current practice in Lancashire is to make one-off grants to help with specific needs of individuals, organisations and voluntary groups throughout the community for purposes for which statutory funding is not available. For example grants to groups and organisations may be made for the provision of equipment or the refurbishment of premises but are not normally given to support running costs. Repeat grants will not be
given to the same organisation for at least three years. Normally, grants are of modest amounts, typically, less than £500.

Grants are not available for the following:
1) *Uniformed Youth Groups (eg Scouts/Guides/Cadets)
2) Schools
3) For Further or Higher Education
4) Animal Welfare Charities
5) Hardship
6) General Appeals
7) *For work under the Equality Act (or for similar purposes)
8) *Sports Clubs
9) Theatre Arts Training
10) Running costs (to be determined on a case-by-case basis)
*To be determined on a case-by-case basis – would be considered more favourably, that if a grant was awarded, it would also provide a strong community benefit.

All decisions on applications are entirely at the discretion of the Fund and the Fund is unable to enter into any correspondence in connection with an unsuccessful application.