Important Notice: Temporary Closure of Applications
Firstly, we apologise to all our eligible applicants who have been waiting more than four months for an outcome. Regrettably, this year we have not been able to meet our usual target of communicating decisions within two to four months.
When we closed to overseas projects in 2023, we had hoped this would give us much-needed time to review and improve our governance, systems and processes. However, applications for UK projects rose sharply, increasing by 25% between 2023 and 2024, which more than filled the void left by the closure to overseas projects.
This growth has continued at an even faster pace in 2025, with applications increasing by a further 75% since 2024. This has created an unmanageable backlog.
To address this, the Southall Trust will close to all applications from September to November 2025 (we expect to re-open at some point in the week beginning 10th November). Also, we will only be responding to urgent enquiries and enquiries from current grant holders during this period. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience and understanding.
Looking ahead, we are aiming to improve our processes by:
- Seeking to recruit additional trustees.
- Changing our application process, so that our employed (part‑time) Secretary is more actively involved in the decision-making.
- Providing clearer guidance about the types of projects we seek to support.
- Continuing to act on applicant feedback, including improvements to our website and online application system.
Finally, we ask prospective applicants to carefully review the Trust’s eligibility criteria before applying. Ineligible applications are at their highest level in seven years. This is especially disappointing because it takes valuable time and focus away from those who are eligible.
Thank you for your understanding and patience with us as we make these changes.