Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is a British
social policy
research and development charity, that funds a UK-wide research and development programme. It seeks to understand the root causes of social problems, to identify ways of overcoming them, and to show how social needs can be met in practice. JRF works by funding research and taking forward the lessons learned, engaging with policy-makers and practitioners to develop better alternatives. It is politically
neutral and independent from all UK political parties. The current Chief Executive of JRF is Julia Unwin.
JRF works in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT). JRHT provides housing, care homes, retirement and supported housing, and demonstrates new approaches in these areas. It manages more than 2,000 homes, roughly half of which are in New Earswick, York. The remainder are in the City of York and surrounding areas. JRHT also provides retirement and supported housing services in York and other parts of north-east England.
established by Joseph Rowntree
. Then known as the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust, its original purpose was to build and manage the garden village of New Earswick, York.
Joseph Rowntree wanted his money to be used to tackle the root causes of social problems, rather than treating their symptoms. His Memorandum of 1904 stated: "I feel that much of the current philanthropic effort is directed to remedying the more superficial manifestations of weakness or evil, while little thought or effort is directed to search out their underlying causes ... [seek] to search out the under-lying causes of weakness or evil in the community, rather than ... remedying their more superficial manifestations."
In 1988, Richard Best
became director of JRF, holding the post until 2006. In 1989, Roland Hurst, a Quaker, joined as Director of Information Services. Sharing the founder's vision in wanting scholarly inquiry to have direct results and to lead to changes in policies and practices, he sought to disseminate and publicise the results of JRF-funded research. To achieve this, he introduced the "Findings" series which summarised research reports in a four-page summary paper.
Today, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation spends around £10 million a year on its research and development programme and on taking forward key messages. The majority of JRF-funded research is available to download free of charge from the JRF website.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
social policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
research and development charity, that funds a UK-wide research and development programme. It seeks to understand the root causes of social problems, to identify ways of overcoming them, and to show how social needs can be met in practice. JRF works by funding research and taking forward the lessons learned, engaging with policy-makers and practitioners to develop better alternatives. It is politically
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
neutral and independent from all UK political parties. The current Chief Executive of JRF is Julia Unwin.
JRF works in partnership with the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT). JRHT provides housing, care homes, retirement and supported housing, and demonstrates new approaches in these areas. It manages more than 2,000 homes, roughly half of which are in New Earswick, York. The remainder are in the City of York and surrounding areas. JRHT also provides retirement and supported housing services in York and other parts of north-east England.
Current programme areas
- Poverty: examining the root causes of poverty, inequality and disadvantage and identifying solutions. For example, work on the annual Minimum Income Standard for the UK - working with members of the public and experts to find out what income people need to live on.
- Place: contributing to the building and development of strong, sustainable and inclusive communities. For example, the Housing and Neighbourhoods Monitor - identifying key housing and neighbourhoods statistics across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Empowerment: how people and communities can have control of their own lives. For example, research into A better life - What needs to change so that older people, especially those with high support needs, can have a better quality of life?
Related resources
- The Poverty Site*
- Housing and Neighbourhoods Monitor
- Minimum Income Calculator
- Equip
History
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) was founded in 1904, and is one of four trustsRowntree trusts
The four Rowntree Trusts are funded from the legacies of the Quaker chocolate entrepreneurs and social reformers Joseph Rowntree andBenjamin Seebohm Rowntree. The trusts are based in the Rowntrees' home city ofYork, England...
established by Joseph Rowntree
Joseph Rowntree (philanthropist)
Joseph Rowntree was a Quaker philanthropist and businessman from York, England. Rowntree is perhaps best known for being a champion of social reform and his time as a chocolatier at family business Rowntree's, one of the most important in Britain...
. Then known as the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust, its original purpose was to build and manage the garden village of New Earswick, York.
Joseph Rowntree wanted his money to be used to tackle the root causes of social problems, rather than treating their symptoms. His Memorandum of 1904 stated: "I feel that much of the current philanthropic effort is directed to remedying the more superficial manifestations of weakness or evil, while little thought or effort is directed to search out their underlying causes ... [seek] to search out the under-lying causes of weakness or evil in the community, rather than ... remedying their more superficial manifestations."
In 1988, Richard Best
Richard Best, Baron Best
Richard Stuart Best, Baron Best, OBE is a British social housing leader and member of the House of Lords.The son of late Walter Best DL and Frances Chignell, Best was educated at Shrewsbury School and the University of Nottingham. He married Ima Akpan in 1970, divorcing in 1976, then Belinda Stemp...
became director of JRF, holding the post until 2006. In 1989, Roland Hurst, a Quaker, joined as Director of Information Services. Sharing the founder's vision in wanting scholarly inquiry to have direct results and to lead to changes in policies and practices, he sought to disseminate and publicise the results of JRF-funded research. To achieve this, he introduced the "Findings" series which summarised research reports in a four-page summary paper.
Today, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation spends around £10 million a year on its research and development programme and on taking forward key messages. The majority of JRF-funded research is available to download free of charge from the JRF website.
See also
- DerwenthorpeDerwenthorpeDerwenthorpe is a controversial housing development planned to be built on the edge of York, England. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation have submitted plans to build 500 homes on land west of Metcalf Lane...
- Poverty in the United KingdomPoverty in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom is a developed country with comparatively large income differences. As such, those at the lower end of the income distribution have a relatively low standard of living. However, the severe privations of those in the developing world are scarcely to be seen due to the more...
- Centre for the Analysis of Social ExclusionCentre for the Analysis of Social ExclusionThe Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion is a British research institute at the Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economic and Related Disciplines at the London School of Economics.It lists its core research areas as:...