Our priorities

Achieving a good standard of basic education is fundamental to leading a fulfilling life. It impacts on the kind of employment we can aspire to. Children living in poverty are more likely to struggle with schoolwork, limiting the opportunity to improve their lives.

Our aim is to break this cycle for as many children as possible and we want all children in our Area of Benefit to achieve their best at school.

The Foundation makes grants to a small number of partner organisations to help young people through education and training. Our Charitable Aims are to support children and young persons who are in need of financial assistance and who live in or who are students of educational institutions in the Area of Benefit.

How our funding works

The Foundation’s funds must only be used for the benefit of people who live, work or study in the London Boroughs of Camden, Islington and the City of London. Our funding strategy is decided in-house by our grants committee and currently follows the three main themes outlined below, with a small number of other grants approved at our discretion.

We are not currently open for applications; however, we are keen to understand projects align with our objectives.

If you wish to send an enquiry, please fill out our enquiry form.

Tuition Programmes

As a result of the pandemic, lost learning time in the classroom has affected the financially disadvantaged hardest, increased the attainment gap and further diminished opportunities in education and beyond. To help combat this the Foundation provided funding to 38 schools in the year 21/22 to provide intensive tuition to our beneficiaries.

GCSE Maths - The Foundation provides funding for an additional and dedicated member of staff at a select number of secondary schools. These academic mentors provided a suite of interventions for target groups of children with the aim of raising attainment in maths and closing the gap with their peers.

Year 5 Tuition - Open to all state primaries in the Area of Benefit, the Foundation provides funds for small group tuition in maths and literacy for pupils who may otherwise not have access to this type of intervention.

Family Support

The funding of Child and Family Support Workers in primary schools is a long-standing programme that helps build and strengthen community links within the school.

Their work includes direct support to both the child and their family, building close relationships with the most vulnerable.

This includes helping families with access to outside agencies to help with housing issues, social and mental health services and access to food banks and voucher schemes.

A key aspect of the work aims to improve attendance and support both child and family with their mental health which has been particularly stark following the period of school closures during the pandemic. In addition, children are supported on a one-one basis with a focus on reading, social and emotional well-being and challenging behaviours.

Hardship Bursary

Going back to its original traditions, since 2020 the Foundation has implemented a bursary programme for eligible beneficiaries age 16-18 who live and attend a school or college within the Area of Benefit.

Each year since then, the Foundation has distributed hardship grants to nearly 900 eligible students. With the support of Camden and Islington councils these funds are distributed directly to the beneficiaries via schools and colleges. While no specific requirements are placed on how the funds are spent, we are pleased that beneficiaries have used these funds to support their ongoing studies.

In addition, the Foundation continued to support City University with a bursary for students aged 18-25 (with connections to the Area of Benefit) for resources to support their ongoing education.