The Council appoints trustees to two independent local charities:
• the Isles of Scilly Charitable Trust comprising the Edward McDonald Fund and the Pilots Widows Fund (registered charity number 207551).
• the Richard Addison Charitable Trust (registered charity number 1014632).
The Council also makes a member of staff available to act as clerk to both charities.
Isles of Scilly Charitable Trust
The Isles of Scilly Charitable Trust (IOSCT) was formed in July 2022 by the merger of the Edward McDonald Trust and the Pilots Widows Fund. The Edward McDonald Trust was established in the late 1940s from the estate of a St Mary’s banker while the Pilots Widows Fund could trace its origins to a public collection taken up after a ‘calamity at sea’ in the late eighteenth century.
Anyone can submit an application to the IOSCT using the application form below.
The IOSCT welcomes applications:
• to provide financial support to address particular cases of hardship, in particular to support the health or wellbeing of people in need on the islands who are aged under 60.
• to provide financial support for on-island activities or events that will enrich the lives of local residents, in particular for the benefit of people aged under 60.
• to provide financial support for charitable purposes associated with maritime endeavours on the islands.
As well as responding to applications, the IOSCT also:
• makes an annual Christmas distribution of cash gifts to people in need of all ages on the islands. The list of recipients is compiled in consultation with health and social care professionals.
• makes an annual payment to the St Mary's Christmas Lights Fund, the Parochial Church Council of the Isles of Scilly, the Five Islands Academy and the Shipwrecked Mariners Society.
IOSCT application form
IOSCT annual report, 2024-25
IOSCT annual accounts, 2024-25
IOSCT statement of purpose
IOSCT privacy notice
Richard Addison Charitable Trust
Richard Addison (1895-1979) was a St Mary’s flower grower and the son of Dr William Addison (1863-1949) who was a medical practitioner on the islands. In his will, Richard left half his estate to generate an income to be expended by the Council ‘on welfare purposes… in particular for the benefit of the old folks of the islands’. The Council set up an independent charitable trust to administer the funds in 1994.
Anyone can submit an application to the Richard Addison Charitable Trust (RACT) using the application form below.
The RACT welcomes applications:
• to provide financial support to address particular cases of hardship, in particular to support or improve the welfare of people in need on the islands aged 60 or over.
• to provide financial support for on-island activities or events that will enrich the lives of local residents, in particular for the benefit of people aged 60 or over.
RACT application form
RACT annual report and accounts, 2024-25
RACT statement of purpose
RACT privacy notice