The Brewers' Company General Charitable Trust Summer Update 2024

The Brewers’ Company General Charitable Trust (BCGCT) is one of the eleven charities administered by the Brewers’ Company. Its funds  are used for general charitable purposes as determined by the Court.

In 2024 a total distribution of £34,150 is anticipated from the BCGCT. This includes a number of agreed annual grants to specific beneficiaries, as well as several one-off grants to organisations who have approached the Brewers’ Company for funding on an ad hoc basis. Here is a snapshot of some of the causes that are being supported by BCGCT this year:

• Bursaries for selected students at Aldenham School (the Brewers’ Scholarships)
• The Guildhall Library who safeguard some of the Company’s most ancient and precious archives, including our Royal Charters, grants of arms and the Memorandum Book of William Porlond
• The Lord Mayor’s Appeal which, this year, is supporting MQ Mental Health Research, Homewards and National Numeracy
• Pub is the Hub which offers independent specialist advice to publicans on rural services diversification
• The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, supporting the Army Benevolent Fund, the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity and the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund
• St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust which donates to charities and good causes across the South West of England
• The Children’s Sailing Trust which provides sailing and water activities for young people in Cornwall
• St Paul’s Cathedral Foundation in support of the vital work and mission of this institution at the heart of the City of London
• The National Brewery Heritage Trust to support the vital preservation of our industry’s history
• Donations to the welfare funds of our military affiliations: The Royal Lancers, HMS Bulwark and 9F (Islington) Sqn ATC
• Blind in Business which helps blind and partially sighted people into work
• Off the Streets, a homeless charity in Southend who aim to get rough sleepers off the streets and into permanent accommodation
• Plunkett UK which supports rural communities to set up and run businesses, including community owned pubs and breweries
• Mind, the mental health charity for England and Wales

In addition, the BCGCT supports the Brewers’ Company Scholarship for a brewing related research paper on the MSc Diploma Course at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University, and the Brewers’ Company Awards for the highest scores on the Institute of Brewing and Distilling’s General Certificate in Brewing and General Certificate in Packaging exams.