What Stevenage Community Trust does

Stevenage Community Trust is an independent registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1000762), established in 1990 by then-mayor Hilda Lawrence with the backing of Stevenage Packaging and other local founders. It provides grants and financial support to charitable organisations, community groups, schools and sports clubs, and to individuals and families in crisis, across Stevenage and 17 surrounding villages in Hertfordshire (including Knebworth, Walkern, Aston, Benington, Datchworth, Graveley and Watton-at-Stone). Its core grant programmes comprise Community Grants (assessed quarterly), Hardship Grants (year-round, professional-referral only), Heating Grants (October to March), Sports Grants, Christmas Gift Cards (£150 per family, 246 families supported in 2024) and the restricted Chauncy Charity Fund for older people. Since 1990 the Trust has distributed in excess of £2.5 million in grants, reaching approximately 20,000 beneficiaries in the most recently reported year.

The Trust operates a low-overhead technology stack: a standard website at stevenagecommunitytrust.org with Google Analytics cookie-based visitor tracking, Tiltify-powered online donations, UK GDPR-compliant data handling (consent-based marketing, contractual basis for ticketed events, legitimate interest elsewhere, explicit consent for sensitive personal data used in hardship assessments), and downloadable PDF grant-application forms. There is no proprietary technology, no mobile application, no AI or machine-learning tooling, and no public-facing API. Grant decisions are made manually by the Grants Committee and the Trust's sole full-time operational hire, Charity Grants Manager Samantha Bush.

Revenue is generated from a diversified mix of streams: tiered corporate membership fees (£100-£1,000 annually based on employee headcount), individual personal membership donations (£5/£10/£20 monthly via Tiltify plus Gift Aid), event-driven fundraising through the Annual Dinner & Dance (over £30,000 raised in 2025 at Knebworth Barns), the Annual Charity Golf Day at Chesfield Downs (over £12,500 in 2025), the Quiz Night (over £1,700 in 2025) and the new Roland Butcher Trophy cricket match (inaugurated July 2025), tiered event sponsorship packages, one-off donations, legacy gifts and grants from external charitable trusts (notably £15,000 from The Follett Trust in 2024). Governance is provided by 10 trustees and a President (Rob Stewart, founder of Stevenage Packaging), with an operational team of one full-time grants manager plus volunteers and a newly recruited part-time Fundraising Manager.

Name

Stevenage Community Trust

Legal name

Stevenage Community Trust

Website

https://stevenagecommunitytrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stevenage Community Trust is an independent UK registered charity (established 1990) that awards grants to local charities, schools, sports clubs and hardship referrals across Stevenage and 17 surrounding Hertfordshire villages, funded by corporate memberships, individual donations, annual fundraising events and external trust grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stevenage

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corporate (Business) Membership Fees: Annual corporate membership scheme with tiered fees based on employee count: under 5 employees £100, 5-12 employees £250, 13-25 employees £500, 26-50 employees £750, 51+ employees £1,000. Members receive networking, brand visibility, social media features, event invitations, and 12 months complimentary Biz4Biz membership.
2. Personal Membership Donations: Monthly personal membership scheme with options of £5, £10, £20 per month, or custom amount; one-off payments also accepted. Gift Aid increases donation value by 25% at no cost to donor. Members choose a focus area to support.
3. Online One-off Donations: Single donations accepted online via Tiltify-hosted donation page and previously through Virgin Money Giving/JustGiving. Also accepts legacy gifts via wills.
4. Fundraising Events (Dinner & Dance, Golf Day, Quiz Night, Roland Butcher Trophy): Major events serve as primary fundraising levers with sponsorships, ticket/team entry fees, auctions and raffles. 2025 Dinner & Dance raised over £30,000; 2025 Golf Day raised over £12,500; 2025 Quiz Night raised over £1,700.
5. Event Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship sold for events: Headline/Gold/Silver/Bronze sponsors for Golf Day, plus Dinner & Dance 'Stevenage Superstar', 'Community Champion', and entertainment/welcome-drinks sponsor slots.
6. Grants from Charitable Trusts: Receives donations from external charitable trusts to fund specific programmes, e.g. The Follett Trust donated £15,000 to the Christmas Gift Card scheme, and Chauncy Charity Fund and councillors at Stevenage Borough Council / Hertfordshire County Council co-fund heating grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Stevenage Community Trust is an independent registered charity that awards grants to local charitable organisations, community groups, schools, sports clubs and individuals/families in hardship across Stevenage and 17 surrounding Hertfordshire villages. Its offering centres on multiple grant programmes (Community Grants, Hardship Grants, Heating Grants, Sports Grants, Christmas Gift Cards and the restricted Chauncy Charity Fund), membership and donation programmes (Corporate Membership, Personal Membership, online donations), and an annual calendar of fundraising events (Dinner & Dance, Charity Golf Day, Quiz Night, Roland Butcher Trophy cricket match).

Product overview

Stevenage Community Trust is a registered charity offering a single integrated community-giving service built around several interconnected programmes: grant programmes (Community Grants, Hardship Grants, Heating Grants, Sports Grants, Christmas Gift Cards and the restricted Chauncy Charity Fund for older people), membership programmes (Corporate Membership Scheme and Personal Membership Scheme), engagement services (Corporate Volunteering Programme), and an annual calendar of fundraising events (Annual Dinner and Dance, Annual Charity Golf Day, Annual Quiz Night, and the Roland Butcher Trophy Cricket Match). The grants are the core offering, supported by membership income, donations via Tiltify, and the annual events portfolio, all coordinated from Stewart House in Stevenage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Grants Grants awarded quarterly by the Grants Committee to charitable organisations, community groups, schools and grassroots sports clubs in Stevenage and surrounding Hertfordshire villages, funding equipment, programmes, facility improvements, accessibility, youth provision and arts.
• Hardship Grants Urgent hardship grants for individuals and families in crisis across Stevenage and surrounding villages, accepted year-round via professional referral, covering furniture, white goods, food, fuel, school uniform, baby items and emergency support.
• Heating Grants Winter heating grants available from October to March for vulnerable residents in Stevenage and surrounding villages, co-funded with The Chauncy Charity, Stevenage Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council.
• Christmas Gift Cards Annual £150 supermarket gift cards provided to vulnerable families in need across Stevenage and surrounding villages, accessed via professional referral during the Christmas Gift Appeal Week.
• Chauncy Charity Fund Restricted grant programme for older people and the organisations that support them in Stevenage and surrounding villages, funding strength-and-balance classes, dementia-friendly activities, audio equipment, Christmas parties and coach trips.
• Corporate Membership Scheme Annual tiered business membership programme (£100–£1,000 based on employee count) for Stevenage-based companies, offering brand visibility on website and social media, event invitations, networking, corporate logo use, email banners and a 12-month complimentary Biz4Biz membership.
• Personal Membership Scheme Monthly or one-off donation membership for individual supporters, with preset tiers of £5, £10, £20 per month or a custom amount, Gift Aid reclamation, and the option to direct donations to a chosen cause area.
• Annual Dinner and Dance Annual black-tie gala dinner fundraiser held each autumn, attracting headline 'Stevenage Superstar' sponsors, 'Community Champion' sponsors and entertainment/welcome-drinks sponsors, with auctions and raffles.
• Annual Charity Golf Day Annual team-entry golf tournament held at Chesfield Downs Golf Club, offering team-of-four entry (£450), Bronze and Hole sponsorship packages, on-course competitions, BBQ, prize presentation and auction/raffle.
• Annual Quiz Night Annual community quiz night hosted by Stevenage Packaging Limited, raising funds through bucket donations and online contributions.
• Roland Butcher Trophy Cricket Match Annual T20 charity cricket match at Stevenage Cricket Club featuring an All-Star team of cricket legends including Roland Butcher, with title sponsorship by Stevenage Packaging and free public entry including BBQ, steel band, raffle and auction.
• Online Donation Service Online single-donation processing powered by Tiltify and previously by JustGiving/Virgin Money Giving, accessible from the Trust's own donation page, with legacy gifts also accepted via wills.
• Corporate Volunteering Programme Team-building volunteering days for Stevenage-based companies to contribute staff time to the Trust's community work, coordinated via the Get Involved page.

Quantifiable outcome

• £2.5 million+ distributed in grants since 1990
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Stevenage Packaging LtdflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member and sole named Patron of Stevenage Community Trust since 1989/1990. Website kindly sponsored by Stevenage Packaging. Title sponsor of the inaugural Roland Butcher Trophy (2025) and the 2nd Annual Roland Butcher Trophy (2026). Co-headline ('Stevenage Superstar') sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance. Founder Rob Stewart is the Trust's current President.
• Wilder Coe Chartered AccountantscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-headline ('Stevenage Superstar') sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance. Stevenage-based accountancy firm that has supported the Stevenage community since 1998 and became a Trust Corporate Member in 2024.
• Tollers SolicitorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMain Event Sponsor of the 2025 Charity Golf Day and 'Community Champion' sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance. Sponsor of the 2024 Golf Day. Trustee Sharon Johnson (Trust Chair) is a partner at Tollers.
• Lansmith Global PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the 2026 Charity Golf Day and 'Community Champion' sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance.
• Braceys AccountantscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of the 2026 Golf Day, 'Community Champion' sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance, and chose Stevenage Community Trust as their 'Charity of the Year'. Peter Bracey quoted on the Get Involved page praising the partnership.
• Daines KappminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance.
• Canter Holland Asset ManagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2025 and 2024 Dinner & Dance events.
• Knebworth House (Knebworth Barns venue)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVenue and sponsor for the 2025 Dinner & Dance, the Trust's first Dinner & Dance held at Knebworth Barns on the Knebworth House estate.
• The Wine SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2024 and 2025 Dinner & Dance events.
• Crane & Staples SolicitorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the 2024 and 2025 Dinner & Dance events.
• MBDAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance.
• Face CommunicationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance.
• Tranquil TurtleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWelcome drinks sponsor of the 2025 Dinner & Dance; also hosts Drag Bingo evenings as a fundraiser for the Trust.
• KB ConcertsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold Sponsor of the 2025 Charity Golf Day at Chesfield Downs Golf Club.
• JDL ConstructionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of the 2025 Charity Golf Day.
• GCIS (UK) LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of the 2025 and 2026 Golf Days; sponsor of the 2024 Dinner & Dance; sponsored the Trust's new branded gazebo used at events.
• ARK Lasting Powers & WillsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsor of the 2025 Charity Golf Day. Run by trustee John Greenall and his wife; corporate members of the Trust since 2017.
• Austin's Funeral DirectorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsor of the 2025 Charity Golf Day and main sponsor of the 2024 Dinner & Dance.
• Heneom HRminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Sponsor of the 2025 Charity Golf Day.
• TDI SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEntertainment sponsor of the 2024 Dinner & Dance.
• The Cromwell Hotel, StevenagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChose Stevenage Community Trust as its 'Charity of the Year' to mark the hotel's own 100th anniversary. Will run a series of events and fundraisers throughout the year in support of the Trust.
• Old Town LivecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStevenage Community Trust selected as the official charity partner for Old Town Live, one of the town's most popular annual events.
• Em's Florist (Anna)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal florist donating £10 from each Valentine's bouquet to the Trust and hosting Mother's Day and Christmas Wreath workshops in support of the charity.
• Fairlands School and Shephalbury Park Primary SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchools that hosted non-school uniform days during the 2024 Gift Appeal Week in support of the Trust.
• Chesfield Downs Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Trust's annual Charity Golf Day (2024, 2025, 2026 events) and also hosted the Trust's first Christmas Carol Fundraiser.
• The Priory Barn, Little WymondleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term venue partner for the Trust's annual Dinner & Dance (held here for many years including 2024; the venue closed at the end of October 2024, prompting a move to Knebworth Barns in 2025).
• Stevenage Cricket ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the annual Roland Butcher Trophy T20 charity cricket match (inaugural 2025, second 2026). Also a previous grant recipient of £1,000 for an automatic bowling machine.
• Roland Butcher (former England cricketer)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStevenage, Middlesex and England cricket legend whose name and participation anchor the annual Roland Butcher Trophy charity cricket fundraiser. Also guest speaker at the 2022 Dinner & Dance.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Suffolk Community Foundation: East-of-England community foundation running local grant programmes, donor funds and community appeals. Similar scope, beneficiary mix and corporate-engagement approach to the subject.
• Cambridgeshire Community Foundation: UK community foundation providing grants to local charities, community groups and individuals in Cambridgeshire. Closely comparable operating model — corporate partnerships, individual giving, hardship and community grant programmes — making it a strong model peer.
• Hertfordshire Community Foundation: County-wide community foundation also distributing grants to local charities, community groups and individuals across Hertfordshire. Operates the same model of pooled funds, donor-advised giving and local grantmaking, and would be the most direct geographic competitor for corporate CSR and trust funding.
• Essex Community Foundation: Regional community foundation distributing grants to charities, community groups and individuals across Essex. Shares the local-grantmaking-plus-corporate-membership DNA of the Stevenage Community Trust.
• Norfolk Community Foundation: Long-established community foundation awarding grants to grassroots organisations and individuals in need across Norfolk. Comparable mission, grantmaking process and corporate-supporter model to the Stevenage Community Trust.

Emerging players

• Groundwork East: Regional arm of national environmental-charity Groundwork, active in Hertfordshire and the East of England. Partial overlap on community-based grant delivery and local CSR partnership engagement.
• The Fore: UK charity providing unrestricted grants and capacity-building support to small charities. Relevant comparator for the Trust's grantmaking to grassroots community organisations and small charities in its catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Localgiving: UK-wide digital fundraising platform specifically designed to support local charities and community groups with online donations, fundraising pages and corporate match-funding — directly comparable to the Tiltify/JustGiving layer the Trust uses.
• Heart of England Community Foundation: Larger regional community foundation covering the West Midlands. Similar mission and grantmaking approach but operating at greater scale across multiple local authority areas.

Regional players

• Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation: Neighbouring community foundation covering Bedfordshire and Luton. Operates the same pooled-funds / local-grantmaking model in an adjacent East-of-England geography with overlapping corporate donor pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/StevenageTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/stevenagecommunitytrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stevenage-community-trust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stevenage Community Trust