Welcome to The Leche Trust | The Leche Trust

Supporting the performing arts, heritage conservation and training for young professionals in both these fields

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Ensemble music performers on concert stage — UPROAR New Music Ensemble of Wales performing ‘Scenes from a Street’ at the Bangor Music Festival, North Wales, 2022

A conservationist working on a manuscript in a chemical bath — Conservation of a music manuscript by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750) in the collection of the British Library

A bearded man in colourful hat and waistcoat leaning back supporting a young boy standing on his knees — Festival of Fools 2022; Belfast’s annual festival of street theatre and circus arts

An 18th century sack-back silk gown on a mannequin — Sack-back gown of Spitalfields silk, c. 1750, after conservation.

Two dance performers, one dressed in white Edwardian shirt, the other masked and wearing an Arabian embroidered sleeveless jacket — Shobana Jeyasingh Dance: 2022 touring production of Clorinda Agonistes

Wall monument commemorating Sir George and Lady Horner — Horner Monument c. 1676, St Mary’s Church, Cloford, Somerset, after conservation

Now Accepting Applications for 2024-25 Round 2: Performing Arts and Heritage Conservation

Change of Grants Director at The Leche Trust

The Trustees of The Leche Trust are pleased to announce that Gareth Clayton has joined the charity as Grants Director. Gareth is taking over from Rosemary Ewles, who has retired from the position after ten years of dedicated service.

Please do feel free to get in touch with Gareth if you have any questions about the type of funding that The Leche Trust is able to provide.

Apply for funding

Most of our funding is allocated through our main grants programme which supports projects in two areas: performing arts and heritage conservation.

The online application process for the next grant round is NOW OPEN and will close at midnight on Friday 24 January 2025.

We will let applicants know the trustees' decisions by Monday 10 March 2025.

A group of young theatre trainees posing for photo

Complicité: Mudlarks Young Devisers programme in collaboration with The Barbican, London 2023. Photo: Matthew Kaltenborn

Performing arts

At the Leche Trust we believe that the arts – and artists – make the world a better place. A healthy and dynamic society is reflected in a vibrant arts ecology: we want to support work that is original, to nurture artists and their creativity.

Learn more & apply

Armorial register of the Garter, opened to a two-page spread of arms designs

Conservation of Armorial of the Garter, circa 1580. Lichfield Cathedral Library Photo: Lichfield Cathedral

Heritage conservation

We support the conservation of historically, artistically and culturally significant buildings and objects dating from before 1837 that are in urgent need of remedial treatment. Items must be in public or charitable ownership and accessible to the public.

Learn more & apply