Falling down a Charitable Rabbit Hole...

[curiouswombat]

So, this afternoon I wanted to know the registration number of a local charity, and knew the easiest place to find it was our government's very useful online listAnd then, having found what I wanted, I began to peruse the list having vaguely wondered which was the oldest one still registered and active

Comments

[kazzy_cee]

Maybe King Williams College offers scholarships for some students?

[curiouswombat]

They do - but as far as I know they don't cover the entire fees, so the family have to pay some of it, as well as paying for uniforms, all the specialised sports kits and so on. And then our government still pay the fees of our students at university, so it is unlikely that they often have students who really meet the requirements, but they might well bend the original criteria a bit to make use of the fund.

Back in the Archdeacon's days there were a number of free places at King Bill's for the sons of clergymen and so the original charity was probably to help them. But the school has definitely changed a little since then.

[heleninwales]

I also wondered if the King Williams School had any scholarship pupils. If so perhaps the fund will give out grants for things like text books? I remember our daughter claiming a small amount fromg a local charity that was originally linked with the girls' grammar school, now long closed.

[curiouswombat]

It will certainly be being used - but it is funny the way the school has, like so many other charitable schools, now become so very different to the way it was when the archdeacon left the endowment.

[kathyh]

We have an alms house here that has been going since 1596. The charity that supports it also supports two schools for “poor boys” who these days are anything but. In fairness they do give scholarships but they don’t cover all of the fees. My father used to teach at one of the schools, before they became really expensive, so I suppose I’ve benefitted from the charity too in a roundabout way!

[curiouswombat]

We don't have anything that old - I'm not sure we ever had the right sort of people to make the endowments!

And yes - the charity schools, in particular, have changed a great deal since their inception. I do feel it is wrong that they are still regarded as charities these days. King Bill's is like your ones; there are scholarships but families still need to be able to pay something.

And hurrah for benefitting in a roundabout way!

[adafrog]

Very interesting.

[curiouswombat]

Thank you! It is amazing how many people left money in their wills which became small, unique, charities, rather than leaving it to an established one.

[adafrog]

Yes. Although maybe there was no one trustworthy then?

[curiouswombat]

Good point!

[elwenlj]

I wonder why Hadrian's Charity particularly mentioned the NE of England.

[curiouswombat]

I would guess it was one of those set up by a family, and they had links to both the NE of England and to Eire. Presumably the one with the NE links won when it came to choosing the name :)

[shirebound]

The income to provide a pair of boots annually at Christmas time for each school child of the labouring classes

That really was a lovely thing to do.

[curiouswombat]

Wasn't it! I imagine William Kissack having been one such child himself, going to school in boots that had holes, or didn't fit, and deciding to make sure other children didn't have to do the same. And I loved that, if there was any money left each year, it was to provide a Christmas tree.