The Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, charitable grant-making foundation, which supports a wide range of causes across the UK, donating over £60 million annually. It was established in 1958 by the Weston family and since then has donated over £960 million, becoming one of the largest and most respected charitable institutions in the UK. The Trustees are descendants of the founder and the Weston family continues to take a highly active and hands-on approach.
The Foundation aims to be responsive to where need is greatest and therefore supports a wide range of charitable activity in the following categories:
The Trustees have a preference for charities directly delivering services and activities to those in need, and are especially keen to see applications from charities in the Welfare, Youth and Community sectors and also in regions of economic disadvantage.
Over 1,500 charities across the UK benefit each year from grants made by the Foundation, ranging from small community and volunteer projects to large national organisations. Despite this range, the common theme is that charities demonstrate they are meeting a need effectively with clear outcomes and benefits, good leadership, sensible business plans and a commitment to excellence.
History:
The Garfield Weston Foundation was established in 1958 by Willard Garfield Weston, a businessman who moved to the UK with his family in 1932. He was the creator of Associated British Foods and the Foundation was endowed with a donation of family-owned company shares. As a result, the Foundation is still the ultimate controller of the company today.
Garfield Weston Snr. was succeeded as chairman of both Associated British Foods and the Garfield Weston Foundation by one of his sons, Garfield Howard Weston (Garry), who in the second half of the 20th century successfully developed the company into a major international organisation, and at the same time became one of the UK’s most well regarded philanthropists.
During Garry’s time as chairman (over nearly 25 years) the Foundation’s annual donations grew from less than
£1 million to over £30 million and he made a positive impact on numerous projects, both large and small, throughout the United Kingdom.
The Trustees today are all lineal descendants of the founder and remain committed to continuing the family’s philanthropic ethos that has made the Foundation one of the largest and most respected charitable institutions in the country. Each year the Foundation spends all of the income it receives and donations continue to grow. To date, the Foundation has donated more than £960 million in total.
