The Trust, registered charity number 1032933, was formed in 1995 as a means of raising capital sums for the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. The aim of the Trust is to support the maintenance and protection of the structures, buildings, plant, locomotives, rolling stock and equipment of the railway.

Trustees are appointed by the Society’s Council and represent the various committees of the railway together with a number of independent trustees. The Trust is an independent body governed by the Charities Act although the Trust’s policy is to support only projects which have been approved by Council. The trustees do not manage projects but provide funding for projects which are managed by other groups on the railway.

Major projects which have been made possible by the Trust include:

• Rebuilding of SJ 1931 as WD 90733
• Repairs to Ingrow tunnel
• Feasibility study into possible development of the Great Northern junction site
• Purchase and overhaul of L&Y Ironclad 957
• Locomotive viewing area at Haworth
• Extension to the canopy at Keighley

The Trust’s major achievement to date, however, has been the building of a brand new carriage

hed at Oxenhope to protect the railway’s operational coaches from the ravages of the Pennine weather, together with the refurbishment and cladding of the Goods Shed and Exhibition Shed. Over £1m was raised for the Oxenhope development, mainly from a grant of £600,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and a very generous bequest.

The Trust maintains a general fund for allocation according to current needs, together with other funds restricted to specific purposes. Money donated for any of the restricted funds will only be spent on the project for which it was donated. Restricted funds include:

• 90733 Fund: The railway has rebuilt SJ 1931 as WD 90733 with the help of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Science Museum’s PRISM Fund. The Trust has set up a fund to keep the loco running and to pay for retubing the boiler in 2012 and the next 10-year overhaul in 2017
• 4F Fund to support the overhaul of 4F 43924
• Standard 4 Fund to support the Standard Four Society in maintaining and overhauling 75078 and 78022
• S160 Fund to support the overhaul of S1260 “Big Jim”
• 45212 Fund to pay for the return to the Worth Valley of Black Five 45212, currently based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, and the next 10-year overhaul.
• 957 Fund: A fund is maintained to support the maintenance of the locomotive and to build up a reserve to fund the next 10-year overhaul.
• Diesel Traction Fund to support the railway’s heritage diesel railcars and locomotives
• Club Car Fund to support the overhaul of the L&Y Trust’s Club Car.

The Trust’s income is derived from grants from bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and from donations and legacies.

• As a registered charity, the Trust can reclaim income tax paid under the Gift Aid scheme and many donors have increased the value of their gift by some 28% at no cost to themselves. Forms for making a donation and signing the Gift Aid Declaration are available at the railway’s booking offices or simply write to the Trust’s Treasurer at Haworth Station – a form for this purpose can be printed off the website. The Trust can also accept donations under the Payroll Giving scheme.
• If you wish to make a bequest to the Trust you can, of course, use your own solicitor or we are happy to help you with your will through the services of the Trust’s legal adviser, a Trustee who is a qualified solicitor. If you wish us to help with this, please contact Nigel Ward c/o Haworth Station. On the other hand, if you wish to include a clause in your will without involving the Trust, simply use the following wording “I leave the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Trust, Registered Charity number 1032933, the Railway Station, Station Road, Haworth, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, the sum of £xxxxx free of tax”.  Please do not specify a particular purpose for the donation, other than any of the restricted funds, without consulting us first.

To date, the Trust has attracted several million pounds for the benefit of the railway. Please help us to raise even more by making a donation or remembering the Trust in your will.

Some of the projects funded

by the KWVR Trust

L&Y Rly 'Ironclad' No. 957

This locomotive is owned by the Bowers 957 Trust but was restored for use on the Worth Valley Railway with help from the KWVR Trust

Keighley Canopy Extension

The Trust funded work to reinstate the northern section of the canopy on Keighley station's platforrn four

Ingrow Tunnel Repairs

The repair area on the Northern spandrel wall to reduce the extent of a bulge in the stonework and prevent further deterioration

Pointing work including grinding out and gun pointing

New Steam Generator

The KWVR Trust has funded the provision of a new steam generator for heating the railway carriages at Oxenhope

The Oxenhope Project

The extent of the Oxenhope development is illustrated here as 957 shunts stock into the carriage shed. Refurbishing the workshop building and the exhibition shed were also part of the project.

The WD Project

The Trust has set up a fund to keep the loco running and to pay for retubing the boiler in 2012 and the next 10-year overhaul in 2017

The L&Y Club Car

The K&WVR Trust has established The L&Y Club Car Fund to assist with the on-going restoration of this unique coach. One of the projects is the provision of replacement chairs. A chair frame manufacturer and upholsterer have been identified and a single replacement chair (below) has been completed - the upholstery is real leather! 

With an order of 40, it is expected that the price per chair will be around £500. The picture above shows the upholstered prototype superimposed onto the 1912 interior photograph - original image courtesy of the NRM