Charity of Sir Richard Whittington

The Charity of Sir Richard Whittington, established in 1424 under Mercers' Company trusteeship, embodies a historic legacy of poverty relief and opportunity creation for disadvantaged Londoners, evolving to champion dignity, sustained wellbeing, and community resilience against isolation and exclusion. Core values prioritize equitable access, person-centred support, and long-term empowerment, believing change arises through multi-year investments in core costs, unrestricted funding, and blended direct provision with strategic grants that build resilience, foster inclusion, and address systemic needs via community-led and faith-inspired action.

Thematic priorities span Young People & Education, funding enrichment programs, mentoring schemes, after-school clubs, creative arts development, and skills training for disadvantaged youth facing educational barriers, learning disabilities, or social exclusion; Older People & Housing, supporting almshouses, residential care, day services, befriending, and independence initiatives for elderly residents combating isolation, mobility challenges, or poverty; and Church & Communities, backing faith-based social action including refugee support, homelessness prevention, peer support groups, outreach for migrants, and community infrastructure enhancing cohesion for marginalised ethnic minorities, homeless individuals, and isolated families. Interventions emphasize preventative wellbeing, therapeutic activities, advocacy, volunteer training, and holistic services like counselling and employment pathways, targeting children, young people aged 5-25, older adults, carers, and underserved groups through trauma-informed, inclusive models that promote dignity, peer connections, and opportunity.

Exclusions encompass faith advancement, general appeals, unrestricted capital, or retroactive costs, prioritising instead multi-year project and core funding for urgent disadvantage. Distinctive for its six-century philanthropy rooted in mercantile stewardship, it uniquely blends direct almshouse provision with grants for grassroots faith organisations, educational charities, and homelessness services, favouring London poverty hotspots, rural Norfolk and Lincolnshire communities, and North East resilience-building, with emphasis on evidence-based, community-led approaches serving care leavers, families in crisis, and those with complex social needs.