Thomson-Bree Charitable Trust

The Thomson-Bree Charitable Trust, established under the will of James Rutherfoord Thomson-Bree, is a closed grant-making trust administered by a professional board of solicitors and charity governance experts. Its core mission is to perpetuate the founder's legacy by distributing income exclusively to six named UK-registered charities specified in the will, emphasizing prudent asset management, sustainability, and fidelity to his philanthropic vision. Operating as a perpetual fund with annual trustee meetings, it prioritizes stability and continuity over broad sector engagement, supporting beneficiaries' work in advancing health or saving lives, disability relief, poverty prevention or alleviation, religious activities, and arts, culture, heritage, or science, primarily throughout England.

The trust funds only these predetermined organizations, providing unrestricted or core grants to sustain their general charitable purposes, ongoing activities, or core costs—no project-specific, capital, seed, emergency, or capacity-building support is available to others.

Eligibility is strictly limited to the six named charities in the will; no other UK charities, voluntary groups, individuals, or entities qualify, regardless of income, size, or geographic base, with no unsolicited applications accepted. Typical individual grants range from £12,500 to £13,000, aggregating £75,500–£77,000 annually, distributed at trustees' discretion post-financial year-end (30 November), without public deadlines, forms, or processes.

Distinctively, this legacy vehicle excludes all external applicants, competitive programmes, or new causes, setting it apart as a non-generalist fund focused solely on its fixed beneficiaries, making it inaccessible for charities not explicitly named in the founding document.