The Albert Hunt Trust was established on 12 January 1979 and has distributed grants totaling more than £40m to date.
When the Trust was originally set up the founders were clear in their intention to support a broad range of causes, including hospice care, winter night shelters for the homeless, and individuals facing social deprivation.
Over the ensuing years the Trustees have pursued this approach and continued to support charities with similar aims and objectives to those organisations originally funded by the founding trustees.
Furthermore, a steadfast commitment to provide unrestricted core funding has been at the forefront of the provision of grants with little or no reporting required, thus entrusting the organisations supported to continue to deliver their objectives.
With the unprecedented recent effects on society, through the pandemic and current cost of living crisis, there is a stark increase in the dependence being placed upon civil society as a source of intervention.
This has consequently caused the Trustees to question ‘why does the Trust exist?’ and ‘why does the Trust need to exist forever?’.
With the acknowledgement that there is much immediate need for financial support the Trustees have decided to act now by concentrating on the spending of the Trust’s remaining resources within a specific timeframe seeing The Albert Hunt Trust mark its 50th anniversary in January 2029 by closing.
Breda McGuire, the chair of Trustees said ‘’By adopting a spend down strategy this will focus the trustees to utilise the resources of the Trust in a targeted way to achieve the Trust’s objectives at a time of unparalleled need.’’
The Trustees will continue with their current grant making strategy in the short term whilst developing a strategy for the phased final distribution.