Skinners’ Benevolent Trust

The Skinners’ Benevolent Trust aims to support individuals living on a very low income, who have been cut off in some way from society and who are trying to re-build their lives. We provide grants for essential household items that cannot be paid for from statutory funds.

Who can apply?

We particularly welcome applications from people who are:

• living with mental health issues
• in recovery from substance/alcohol use or
• victims of domestic violence.

We also welcome applications from:

• people in receipt of a state retirement pension or
• who have some kind of disability or chronic illness.
  

Main eligibility criteria

We can consider applications from adults who:

• Live in England.  We have a preference for those living in areas where our Trustee, the Skinners’ Company, has a presence, either through its schools or almshouses.  These areas are: Camden, The City of London, Enfield, Hackney, Hounslow, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells
• Either live on their own or with their dependent children
• Are in receipt of a means-tested benefit, such as Income Support, Local Housing Allowance/Housing/Council Tax Benefit
• Are sponsored by medical professionals or people working within a recognised social care agency, such as Social Services, disability information and support organisations, housing support agencies or local charity.  Sponsors need to have personal, ongoing knowledge of their client’s situation and a facility for receiving and monitoring the money we provide to ensure it is spent on the item applied for 
• Have applied to the Social Fund (or, where applicable, for a Community Care Grant) and received a decision.

We cannot help with:

• Applications made by individuals or organisations providing “one-off” support or advice
• Applicants who have received a grant from the charity in the previous two years
• General financial assistance, including debt and utility costs
• Items that are available from the Social Fund (or Community Care Grant)
• Mobility or computer equipment
• Items that have already been purchased
• Applications that fall outside our criteria.

How to apply

Sponsors should contact the Housing & Grants Administrator to discuss an application.

The Skinners’ Benevolent Trust
Skinners’ Hall
8 Dowgate Hill
London EC4R 2SP

Tel: 020 7213 0562
Email: charitiesadmin@skinners.org.uk

Dealing with your application

Applications are normally processed within six weeks.  We consider applications on a monthly basis, depending on what funds are available. We can sometimes consider applications more quickly, if the case is very urgent. 

If the application is successful, we will be in touch to discuss the conditions on which the grant has been made (eg, where funds have been pledged, subject to further fundraising).

Our benefactors

The Trust’s funds are derived from bequests made over the centuries for the relief of poverty.  We would like to recognise and commemorate the following benefactors:  Thomas Hunt, Sir Thomas Devitt, Lady Tyrrell Giles, George & Martha Walton Wise, John Meredith, Sir James Lancaster, Sir Jeremiah Colman, Mr & Mrs Eardley Wilmot and Frederic Holl-Morris.

 

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