Buzzacott Stuart
Defries Memorial Fund
About the fund
Established in 2003 in memory of Stuart Defries, Buzzacott Partner, our charitable fund is central to our community engagement programme. For more than 20 years, it has helped us make a meaningful difference in our local community by supporting small charities that work with children and young people in and around the City of London.
organisations supported
£k+
donated since 2003
years in operation
Our funding priorities
We offer grants to registered charities, voluntary bodies (including Community Interest Companies), and statutory organisations that work with children and young people, primarily focusing on education, wellbeing, and opportunities for those who need them most.
Young people
We support charities that work with children and young people under the age of 25.
London-based projects
We support organisations working in London boroughs with the highest levels of child poverty, particularly those neighbouring the City of London.
Disadvantaged communities
We fund projects that make a real difference for people in disadvantaged or low-income areas.
Education, safety, and wellbeing
We prioritise initiatives that promote education, prevent homelessness and poverty, reduce youth crime, improve online safety, and support mental health and wellbeing.
Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the most common questions we’re asked about our grants, who can apply, and how the process works. If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please get in touch.
Making sure your organisation is eligible to apply is the first step and can save a lot of time. To be considered for funding, your charity must be actively engaged in initiatives aligned with our objectives.
Our main grant making objectives are to:
- Benefit young people under the age of 25
- Support organisations based in Greater London boroughs experiencing high rates of child poverty, particularly boroughs adjoining the City of London
- Support those in disadvantaged socio-economic areas or communities
- Concerned with promoting educational opportunities, seeking to prevent homelessness, poverty and destitution, prevention or rehabilitation of youth crime, online safety, and mental health and wellbeing.
If your organisation meets the criteria, we’d love to hear from you.
First, you will need to complete a pre-application questionnaire on YourCause, our grants management platform. You will also be asked to submit your most recent accounts and confirm you have an up-to-date safeguarding policy. If your statutory accounts are not available, you may be asked to provide a copy of your latest management accounts.
If you are eligible, you will then be required to submit a formal application form which should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete.
Your application will be assessed by our Trustees in line with our grant making policy (see above) to determine whether it is aligned with the fund’s objectives listed above and based on the following criteria.
Financial health: The application should demonstrate strong financial stability with adequate reserves and sustainable budgeting. Moderate financial stability may require additional information, while poor financial health with liquidity issues or high debt levels will result in automatic decline.
Need for funding: The application should demonstrate a high need in the local area, addressing critical social issues. Moderate need may be considered if there is a current shortfall, while low need or substantial existing funding may lead to a grant being declined.
Strategic fit: The project should clearly align with the Fund's goals, demonstrating how it will tackle a specific issue and positively impact beneficiaries.
Project location: The project should operate in a priority location within London boroughs experiencing high rates of child poverty.
Project impact: The application should highlight key impact measures and objectives specific to target groups, demonstrating a history of delivering these impacts and recognising areas for future growth.
The trustees meet quarterly to make funding decisions for grant applications. You can expect to hear back from us within 2 weeks of the most recent meeting.
We will follow up with grant recipients to ensure that the grant is being used as intended. Depending on the size of the grant, we may require you to complete a report, either once the grant has been spent, or when the project has been completed.
If this is required of you, we’ll reach out with more details.
Hear from our trustees
Since becoming a trustee in 2014, the Fund has continued to broaden engagement with the local community in a variety of ways. We’ve paid close attention to the issues impacting the lives of people living across London, and have engaged organisations that are making a tangible difference by tackling deprivation and unequal access to opportunities.
Katharine Patel
Partner and Trustee of BSDMF
I became a trustee over 10 years ago, and it is incredible to see how much the fund has evolved since then. As the firm has grown, we have received more annual funding which means we are able to support more organisations and increase the amounts of funding we offer. Being a trustee means I can help identify charities that support young people in our community, and I’m proud of the range of charities we have been able to support.
Scott Barber, Partner and Trustee of BSDMF
Becoming a trustee in 2024 was driven by my desire to make a meaningful difference beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of my work. There are some amazing local organisations out there providing essential services to some of the most vulnerable young people in our community, and seeing how they transform lives is truly inspiring.
Simon Wax
Partner and Trustee of BSDMF
Since becoming a trustee in 2014, the Fund has continued to broaden engagement with the local community in a variety of ways. We’ve paid close attention to the issues impacting the lives of people living across London, and have engaged organisations that are making a tangible difference by tackling deprivation and unequal access to opportunities.
Katharine Patel
Partner and Trustee of BSDMF
I became a trustee over 10 years ago, and it is incredible to see how much the fund has evolved since then. As the firm has grown, we have received more annual funding which means we are able to support more organisations and increase the amounts of funding we offer. Being a trustee means I can help identify charities that support young people in our community, and I’m proud of the range of charities we have been able to support.
Scott Barber, Partner and Trustee of BSDMF
Becoming a trustee in 2024 was driven by my desire to make a meaningful difference beyond the day-to-day responsibilities of my work. There are some amazing local organisations out there providing essential services to some of the most vulnerable young people in our community, and seeing how they transform lives is truly inspiring.
Simon Wax
Partner and Trustee of BSDMF