Plater Trust makes record number of awards to social justice projects

May 26th, 2022

Bishop Richard Moth, Chair of the Charles Plater Trust, announced the winners of the 2022 grants round at the charity's centenary mass for its founder, Fr Charles Plater, followed by the annual awards ceremony and reception at Allen Hall, London last night, 25th May 2022.

Addressing a packed audience Bishop Moth said: "We are delighted to be partnering tonight with nineteen charities, both large and small, to play our part to help them rebuild the social fabric of our divided society in the wake of a pandemic that undoubtedly hit the poorest hardest. Over a hundred years since the death of our founder, the social prophet, Fr Charles Plater SJ, we too are living out his enduring legacy to read the signs of the times and respond with compassion and solidarity."

Cathy Corcoran, Chair of the Grant Making Committee, said: "After having to pause our grant making in 2021, I'm delighted that we are back as a funder, stronger than ever before. We had more than double the number of applications for grants this year than in any year before, which just indicates the level of social need that is out there. We'd love to find other philanthropists who might like to join us in funding more of the high-quality project proposals we receive, so that we could do even more in the future to support the work of charities at the coal face. I know from first-hand experience that our partner charities deliver well, that our grants make a real difference in people's lives, and it's just a privilege to act together for social justice at home in this way."

The nineteen diverse projects winning a grant encompass a broad span of social justice activities, including assisting refugees, the homeless, trafficked girls and women, those with disabilities and those suffering financial and educational disadvantage. A number of projects will focus on vulnerable children and young people. In total the CPT provided funding of £528,834, the largest amount the Trust has ever awarded in one year, and it has pledged to maintain this level of funding over successive years. The CPT also knows that it has reached some BME led charities because of the monitoring question added to the new online application process for the first time. As is to be expected, most, but not all, of the charities funded were faith-based charities.

One of the grant recipients, Sarah Williams, collecting the award on behalf of Depaul UK, said: "I would like to offer our sincere thanks to the Charles Plater Trust for our £50,000 grant to our Nightstop London service. Our emergency accommodation provision offers a vital lifeline for young people who are experiencing homelessness in the capital, and with CPT's support we will now be able to reach more of those people.

The pandemic has resulted in devastating increases in unemployment, mental health problems, domestic abuse and family breakdown. These issues are likely to translate into rising levels of homelessness and with CPT's support, we will be there to help."

The nineteen successful award holders in 2022 are:

Small grants - up to £5,000

Bury Fellowship, North West - £4,732
Catholics for AIDS Prevention & Support, North West and East of England - £5,000
East Berkshire Down Syndrome Support Group, South East - £5,000
Heart of Tamworth Community Project (HOT) West Midlands - £5,000
St Dunstan & St John Vianney Church, Moston, North West - £5,000
Street Doctors, London - £4,500
St Vincent de Paul, Westcliffe on Sea Conference, East of England - £5,000
The Together Free Foundation, South East - £5,039
The Vincentians Volunteers North West - £5,000

Large grants - CPT grants awarded up to £60,000

Advice for Renters, London - £60,000
Citywise Mentoring Ltd North West - £50,000
DePaul UK, North West - £50,000
Destitution Project, North West - £48,327
Provision House, West Midlands - £40,000
Street Teams, West Midlands - £50,000
Soundabout, South East - £59,988
The Baytree Centre, London - £60,000
Transforming Lives for Good, across England and Wales - £46,248
West London Mission, London - £20,000