Origin: Over the past five centuries the Drapers’ Company has accepted trusteeship of a large number of charitable trusts endowed for the benefit of the poor. Many of these trusts are for small annual amounts of £20 or less, established in accordance with sixteenth century bequests.
Policy: In accordance with the objects of benefiting certain defined categories of poor persons, the Charity provides pensions to deserving people including freemen and others connected with The Drapers’ Company who have fallen on hard times, people who have worked in retail drapery and others without any such direct connection. In 1998 the Trustee made arrangements for pensions to be administered by Counsel and Care (Registered Charity Number 203429).
The Trustee’s current policy is not to grant any new pensions. As the number of pensioners reduces, the Charity increasingly provides grants to institutions whose beneficiaries are poor persons of good character. Typically these are poor, elderly or vulnerable people.
The Trustees does not invite unsolicited appeals for charitable assistance from the Charity.
