Ann Docwra Fund
Ann Docwra Fund
Ann Docwra was a 17th-century Cambridge Quaker who provided significant resources to Quakers in Cambridge. She bequeathed the meeting house in Jesus Lane on a 1,000 year lease for Quakers to use. She also left a farm in Fulbourn to provide an income to alleviate the poverty of poor Quakers. This was finally sold in 2021, and the funds invested provide a substantial amount in annual income to be applied to the prevention and relief of poverty among Quakers and others in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The fund is administered by the trustees of the Cambridgeshire Area Quaker Meeting charity. The Cambridgeshire Area Quaker Meeting is the collective of the local Quaker meetings in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, you can find more details here.
We recommend that, if you are uncertain about any aspect of your application, you contact your local Quaker Meeting, Locations | Quakers in Cambridgeshire (cambridgeshire-quakers.org.uk) or the Ann Docwra group, ann.docwra.fund@cambridgeshire-quakers.org.uk advising where you live in Cambridgeshire, and we can discuss the application with you before submission.
We have two classes of grant to disburse:
For Large grants for Charities and non-profit Organisations of up to £20k, please apply here. Large grants are considered twice yearly at trustees' meetings. The current round closed on Monday 20th January 2025. The next deadline for applications will be in July 2025 (date to be announced).
Note that we are in the process of revising the applications form and guidelines, so new applications for Large Grants are not currently being accepted.
For Small grants for Individuals apply here. Our maximum single grant is £750. We do not accept unsupported applications from individuals. Individual applications need to come via Quaker Pastoral or Role holder Friends, or via organisations such as welfare agencies, supporting charities etc. We have an allocated budget of £4,000 per month maximum, and grants are considered at a monthly meeting. Once applications for consideration exceed £6,000, they will be closed until after the meeting. Applicants will be advised once the outcome is known. We expect the grant process to take no more than 8 weeks. Special arrangements apply for Quakers via their meeting Pastoral Friend.