Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust
Charity 326761
Overview
Summary
The Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust appears to be a broadly constituted grant-making charity rather than a specialist service provider. Its stated remit combines grants to both individuals and organisations with general and other charitable purposes, suggesting an operating model designed to retain discretion across varied needs. The available evidence establishes breadth, but not priorities, geography, scale, decision-making criteria or the kinds of relationships the Trust develops through its funding.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Harborne
Confidence: high
Direct evidence: the Trust's accounts for the year ended 5 April 2025 identify 39 Rodbourne Road, Harborne, B17 0PN as its 'CHARITY OFFICES'. This is stronger than a registered-address-only indication, although the evidence does not establish that services are delivered to the public from the site.
- Charity Commission, 2025 Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust Accounts
Lists the charity offices as '39 Rodbourne Road, Harborne, Birmingham, B17 0PN'. - Charity Commission charity record, Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust (326761)
Lists 39 Rodbourne Road, Birmingham, B17 0PN as the charity's contact address.
City Centre
Confidence: medium
Direct evidence shows a current funding/support relationship with Birmingham Rep for its Rep Together campaign, which subsidised theatre tickets for under-25s at the Rep. It is a reasonable interpretation that this extends the Trust's grant-funded activity into the City Centre, but the available evidence does not state the amount or terms of the Trust's support or identify the beneficiaries' home areas.
- Birmingham Rep, 'Rep Wrapped 2025'
States that Rep Together was launched in October 2025 with support from Lillie Johnson Charitable Trust and aimed to subsidise 5,000 theatre tickets for £5 each for under-25s.
Remaining uncertainties
- The Trust is principally a grant-maker rather than a direct service provider: its operational reach is therefore mediated through funded organisations and projects, rather than through a network of Trust-run delivery sites.
- The Trust's current grant guidance says funded organisations should be actively working in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. This supports a regional overall footprint, but does not identify the Birmingham wards in which current funded activity takes place.
- The 2025 accounts list many grant recipients but generally do not specify grant purposes, project locations or beneficiary geographies. It is therefore not possible to evidence a wider ward-level Birmingham footprint reliably.
- Although 39 Rodbourne Road is described as the charity's offices, the evidence does not clarify whether it is solely an administrative base or also a venue for meetings, grant administration or public-facing activity.
Additional evidence needed
- A current grants-awarded list showing recipient organisations, funded projects, award dates and delivery locations.
- The trustees' annual report or grant-monitoring reports identifying the geographic distribution and outcomes of grants in Birmingham.
- Confirmation from the Trust of whether 39 Rodbourne Road is an operational office only or has any public-facing or service-delivery role.
- Project-level confirmation from Birmingham Rep and other current Birmingham grantees of the Trust-funded activity, its location and the period of delivery.
Areas of work
- General Charitable Purposes
- Other Charitable Purposes
Who they help
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
- Other Charitable Activities
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A flexible funding role
The Trust appears to operate as a flexible source of charitable support, able to respond to needs through both individual and organisational grants rather than being limited to one delivery channel.
Why it matters
This may make it relevant to a wider range of civic actors than a narrowly targeted funder. It also suggests the Trust could connect immediate personal need with the capacity of organisations, although the balance between these roles is unknown.
Show evidence
“Makes Grants To Individuals.”
Source:Charity Commission“Makes Grants To Organisations.”
Source:Charity Commission
Breadth is its clearest defining characteristic
The Trust's public purpose appears intentionally broad, with no named beneficiary group or issue area. This may indicate discretionary philanthropy rather than a mission built around a single population or policy problem.
Why it matters
Broad remit can create useful adaptability, but it also makes the Trust difficult to place within local systems without more evidence. Potential partners may not recognise its relevance unless its actual funding patterns are visible.
Show evidence
“The General Public/mankind.”
Source:Charity Commission“General Charitable Purposes.”
Source:Charity Commission“Other Charitable Purposes.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Which people, communities, places or causes receive support in practice.
- Whether grants are proactive, application-led, recurring or responsive to crisis.
- The Trust's scale, governance, funding criteria and relationships with recipient organisations.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports or accounts showing grant recipients, amounts and purposes.
- Grant guidelines, application information or a website explaining priorities and eligibility.
- Trustee reports or public communications describing strategy, geography and decision-making.