Esmee Fairbairn Charitable Trust
Encyclopedia
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is a registered charity
founded in England in 1961. It is one of the largest independent grantmaking foundations in England
, making grants to organisations which aim to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, both now and in the future.
The Foundation likes to consider work which others may find hard to fund, perhaps because it breaks new ground, appears too risky, requires core funding, or needs a more unusual form of financial help such as a loan. The key areas for the Foundation are the arts
, heritage
, education and learning, the environment and social change. The Foundation is also known for starting initiatives themselves where new thinking is required or where they believe there are important unexplored opportunities, such as their "Rethinking Crime & Punishment" initiative in 2002-2005.
In 2009 the charity had an expenditure of £30 million.
The Foundation is based in Kings Cross, London
, and has a staff of approximately twenty three. Trustees include Tom Chandos (Chairman), Felicity Fairbairn, Beatrice Hollond, James Hughes-Hallett, Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Kate Lampard, Baroness Veronica Linklater
and William Sieghart.
, a pioneer of unit trust
investment, and named in honour of his second wife who was killed in World War II
. The charity notes that:
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
founded in England in 1961. It is one of the largest independent grantmaking foundations in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, making grants to organisations which aim to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, both now and in the future.
The Foundation likes to consider work which others may find hard to fund, perhaps because it breaks new ground, appears too risky, requires core funding, or needs a more unusual form of financial help such as a loan. The key areas for the Foundation are the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
, education and learning, the environment and social change. The Foundation is also known for starting initiatives themselves where new thinking is required or where they believe there are important unexplored opportunities, such as their "Rethinking Crime & Punishment" initiative in 2002-2005.
In 2009 the charity had an expenditure of £30 million.
The Foundation is based in Kings Cross, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and has a staff of approximately twenty three. Trustees include Tom Chandos (Chairman), Felicity Fairbairn, Beatrice Hollond, James Hughes-Hallett, Thomas Hughes-Hallett, Kate Lampard, Baroness Veronica Linklater
Veronica Linklater
Veronica Linklater, Baroness Linklater of Butterstone , is a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords. Her career indicates her interests in children’s welfare, education and special needs, and prison reform...
and William Sieghart.
History
The charity was founded by Ian FairbairnIan Fairbairn
Ian Fairbairn was a British financier and rower who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.Fairbairn was the son of Stephen Fairbairn and his wife Eleanor née Sharwood. He was educated at Eton, and then attended Royal Military College Sandhurst, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the...
, a pioneer of unit trust
Unit trust
A unit trust is a form of collective investment constituted under a trust deed.Found in Australia, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, New Zealand, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia and the UK, unit trusts offer access to a wide range of securities....
investment, and named in honour of his second wife who was killed in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The charity notes that:
- "Esmée Fairbairn played a prominent role in developing the Women's Royal Voluntary Service and the Citizens Advice Bureaux before being killed in an air raid towards the end of the Second World War. The Foundation was set up as a memorial to Esmée by her husband Ian Fairbairn. Her sons Paul and Oliver Stobart also contributed generously to the original trust fund as co-founders. In 1999 the Foundation sold its holding in M&G in a takeover of the company by Prudential Corporation PLC. The sale resulted in a significant rise in the value of the Foundation's endowment and consequently in the size of its grantmaking."