Founded in 1989, the Morris Charitable Trust is a charity in north London dedicated to helping communities around Islington, and was founded by the same family who own […]
Founded in 1989, the Morris Charitable Trust is a charity in north London dedicated to helping communities around Islington, and was founded by the same family who own and operate the Business Design Centre.
For those familiar with the Business Design Centre ethos, you will know that our commitment is in providing a versatile multi-purpose venue for businesses of all sizes and across all industries, and our associated charitable trust brings this together with the Islington community as a whole, donating a significant sum of our profits each year to funding projects in the local community.
In this blog, we are excited to share a little more about this trust, who it supports, and how you could receive support for your next community project or initiative.
What is the mission of the Morris Charitable Trust?
By providing a versatile workplace and commercial facility through the BDC itself, the integration of the Morris family within the local community around Islington is secure – but it is through the work of the charitable trust that this good work can be extended outside of the business realm. The mission of the trust is to work with and focus funding on those projects which support disadvantaged groups, the elderly and isolated, and of course education and development for the benefit of the whole community.
Much of the charitable funding is channelled into one-off projects; however, there have been occasions where the trust has funded a larger and more ongoing community initiative – with recent funding going to help coronavirus crisis funds.
The overall aim of the trust is to extend a hand to those projects which seek to shine a light on local hardship and find ways to alleviate it – enhancing the quality of life for those who may be struggling.
What kind of work does the Trust do?
Each of the projects which receives funding and support from the Morris Charitable Trust fits into one of four main categories:
- Education
- Hardship
- Health
- Community
The core aim of the trust is to partner with projects and initiatives which are committed to improving life for people in and around the local community – whether than be through educational opportunities, through service provisions and resources, through improving the life of those who are elderly or sick, or through simply bringing to life ideas which support and enhance the local community.
You can find out more about the various projects of the Morris Charitable Trust here, with some of the most ambitious and life changing examples including:
- The Ben Kinsella Trust, changing young people’s attitudes to knife crime
- The Anne Frank Trust, committed to delivering messages around social justice and equality
- Sunnyside Community Garden, bringing green-fingered residents and locals together to bring life back to the outside spaces of Islington
- The Parent House, supporting parents of Islington with tailored and bespoke support services
The grants received by such projects and charities can range from hundreds to thousands of pounds, with the Morris Charitable Trust committing a large portion of BDC profits to such projects every single year.
How can project leads get involved and apply for future funding?
Navigating the world of funding is not easy for community projects – however, the Morris Charitable Trust seeks to make the process as easy as possible, so that innovative and beneficial projects can be brought to fruition at a time when they are most needed.
To apply for funding, projects should ideally be registered with The Charity Commission to showcase your status as a non-profit organisation. Other projects outside of charitable status, for example local primary schools and educational facilities are also eligible to apply – with some of the trust’s biggest projects involving renovation work on local schools and community centres in the area.
The trust website then has an application page for project leads to fill in, expressing what the funding is required for and how any financial support will fit with the greater value of the project.
New applications are always welcome, with the trust always open to new ideas and initiatives which support and bring life and wellbeing to the local community.
