Charitable Distributions of £1.84 Million Agreed

At its meeting on 1 May, the Court of the Brewers’ Company ratified its decision to distribute £1.84 million from the Dame Alice Owen Foundation to support the education of young people.

Grants for the academic year 2025-26 will be distributed in September and will support Dame Alice Owen’s School in Hertfordshire, as well as educational programmes in Islington. Dame Alice Owen Foundation (DAOF) funded projects in Islington support groups of local young people currently in primary or secondary education, with the long-term goal of empowering young people in more challenging circumstances with the skills and knowledge to shape fulfilling lives; by increasing their chances of progressing in education settings and improving their chances of finding employment after leaving education.

Islington projects being supported in 2025-26 include Music Education Islington, which provides access to instrumental lessons and school-led music centres to children from all backgrounds across the Borough; the Music in Secondary Schools Trust, which provides musical training, Saturday music schools and orchestral opportunities for students; Science for Life, whose ambition is to increase the number of pupils engaging with, and progressing with, science from primary through to post-compulsory levels; Active Row Islington which aims to improve wellbeing, resilience and physical development by opening up the sport of rowing to young people in the Borough; and Upward Bound, which seeks to support the ambitions and attainment of a targeted cohort of students through focused curriculum delivery in English and Mathematics, personal development and careers advice.

At Dame Alice Owen’s School, DAOF funding will support a wide range of activities, including IT infrastructure, building maintenance, social, emotional and disability support for students, extra curricular learning support, teaching staff salaries and much more.