Maddox fund opens after 2025 registration refusal

Sandwich organisations can now apply for grants of up to £3,000 from the Georgina Maddox Community Fund — occasionally £5,000 — with applications closing on 30 September.

That sounds straightforward. Getting the charity itself registered was rather less so.

The Charity Commission refused the previous application in 2025 because it was not satisfied that the proposed organisation would qualify as a charity.

Sandwich Town Council then agreed to pay another £350 plus VAT for an amended application.

The second attempt worked. The Georgina Maddox Charitable Trust was registered on 19 May 2026, charity number 1218151.

And this is not a small pot of money

Council papers from March 2025 recorded Maddox investments worth £1,588,387.31 and another £269,899.80 in cash. The Trust also then owned Bay Hall, whose sale had not been completed.

There was even an argument over how some of that money should be invested.

Minutes record Councillor Paul Breen questioning whether a proposed investment schedule met the council’s request for ethical investments because some investments indirectly supported oil ventures. Councillor Ian Black responded that the first objective was to maximise profits. The council approved the investment schedule.

Now the money starts coming back to Sandwich

The new community fund is being managed with Kent Community Foundation and is open to charities, community groups and schools whose projects directly benefit Sandwich residents.

Most grants will be up to £3,000, although awards of up to £5,000 may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Up to 15 grants are expected.

Projects can include sport and healthy living, arts and community activities, support for disadvantaged children, and work protecting or improving Sandwich’s natural and built environment.

Applications opened on 1 September and close on 30 September, with decisions expected in mid-November.

So after the rejected application, the rewritten constitution and the investment debate, the important part can finally begin.

Georgina Maddox’s money can start being spent on the town she left it to help.

Reported from published sources; research assisted by AI, checked before publication. Corrections: news@sandwichnews.co.uk