About Banbury Charities

Banbury Charities is a group of eight registered charities (registration number 201418). The charities’ objects as set out in the Charity Commission Schemes, are applicable to those within a five-mile radius of Banbury Cross or, in the case of the Banbury Poor Trust, within ten miles

Technically, however, Banbury Charities comprise three Charities, namely:-

The Banbury Almshouse Charity
The Bridge Estate Charity
The Countess of Arran’s Charity (known as The Lady Arran’s Charity)

The remaining five Charitable Trusts are:-

The Banbury Arts & Educational Charity
The Banbury Welfare Trust
The Banbury Sick Poor Fund
The Banbury Poor Trust
The Banbury Recreation Charity

Banbury Charities is a registered Charity number with Governing documents: Scheme sealed 20^th January 1971 as amended by Scheme Sealed 13^th August 1979, 1^st September 1999 and 2^nd July 2003.

In the matter of the following Charities called the Banbury Municipal Charities, in the Borough of Banbury, in the County of Oxford, comprised in Schemes of the Charity Commissioners of the 16^th May 1893 and the 15^th October 1895:-

The Charity called the Banbury Almshouse Charity, comprised in a Scheme set forth in the second schedule to an Order of the Charity Commissioners of the 31^st March 1882;
The Charity known as the Bridges and Highways Repairs Charity, otherwise known as the Bridge Estate Charity, comprised in a Decree of the Commissioners of Charitable Uses made on 20^th January 1603;
The Charity known as the Countess of Arran’s Charity, founded in the year 1767; and In the matter of the Charities Act, 1960.

The Banbury Almshouse Charity

Trustees shall apply the income of the Charity for the benefit of the Almspeople of that Charity or any of them in such manner as the Trustees think fit from time to time.

The Almspeople shall be poor persons who (except in special cases approved by the Charity Commissioners) are resident in the area of the Borough of Banbury at the time of appointment.

The Bridge Estate Fund

In making grants to the Trustees of other Charities for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area of the Borough of Banbury which may include the Almshouse Charity and Countess of Arran’s Charity (known as The Lady Arran’s Charity) and for any charitable purpose for the general benefit of the inhabitants of the said Borough.

The Countess of Arran’s Charity (know as The Lady Arran’s Charity)

To assist beneficiaries who are preparing for, entering upon, or engaged in any profession or trade, occupation or service by providing them with outfits or by payment of fees, travelling expenses or by such other means for their advancement in life or to enable them to earn a living.

To promote the education (including social and physical training) or beneficiaries.

In providing such special benefits of any kind not normally provided by the local education authority for any school in the said area.

“Beneficiaries” of this charity means “young persons who have not attained the age of 25 years who in the opinion of the Trustees are in need of financial assistance”.

The Banbury Arts and Educational Charity

To assist schools, colleges or other institutions of further education in providing facilities for the promotion of education in the arts, literature and science.

To assist young persons under the age of 25 years in that area in need of financial assistance who are studying the arts, literature or science at such institutions.

The Banbury Welfare Trust

To relieve persons who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress.

The Banbury Sick Poor Fund

To benefit sick poor persons in need in the Borough of Banbury.

The Banbury Poor Trust

To benefit poor persons suffering from illness, accident, old age or incapacity, any hospital home or infirmary body society or institution.

The Banbury Recreation Charity

The objects of this Charity is to provide, or assist in the provision of, facilities for the physical recreation for the inhabitants of the Town of Banbury and the neighbourhood thereof in the interests of social welfare in order to improve their conditions of life.

It is appropriate that it was in a statute of the first Queen Elizabeth of England that Charities generally were first given legal disposition when they were classified into four groups, namely the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion and fourthly benefit to the community in general.

Now, in the reign of Elizabeth II, Banbury Charities have two Charities for the benefit of the poor (The Sick Poor Fund and the Banbury Poor Trust, two Charities for the advancement of Education (Countess of Arran’s Trust and the Arts and Educational Trust) but appropriately nothing to discord assistance for any specific religion. However, the largest Trust (Bridge Estate) is for the benefit of the local community in general and has assisted various religious organisations, particularly with the renovation of their property.

Banbury is indeed fortunate to have the Charities, which can and do materially benefit the Town and its inhabitants. By National Standards the Charities are very small, but by local standards, they are substantial. It is to the credit of the present Trustees and their Clerk that the Charities are still able to assist in real terms as much, if not more, than they did when formally founded.

The Trustees of Banbury Charities are all unpaid volunteers consisting of Nominative Trustees, appointed by Cherwell District Council for the term of four years each, and Co-opted Trustees, being residents or business persons of the Banbury area appointed by the Trustees for a term of five years.

The current Trustees are:

Mrs J M Colegrave

Mrs J W May

Miss A M Heritage

Mrs S J Williams

Mr M A Humphris

Mr J P Briggs

Mr C G Clarke (Chairman)

Mr I A Harwood

Mr M A J Recchia

Mr R E P Pattenden

Dr K D Thornhill

Mrs T B B Ogunnubi

The Trustees continue to make significant grants to groups, organisations and individuals in the Borough of Banbury

Individuals applying for help are encouraged to obtain a letter of support from their support worker, carer or other persons in authority to support and give credence to their application.

When monies are advanced to individuals cheques are made payable wherever possible to the supplier of the items requested as opposed to the individual applicant thereby ensuring that monies are used for the purpose intended.

Similarly, when monies are applied in respect of, eg building works, monies are not made available until confirmation is received from the applicant that the balance of monies required to complete the project are available, thus ensuring that monies are not granted for projects which do not proceed. Trustees will frequently attend projects upon completion to ascertain that monies have been properly applied and that the project accords with the terms of the original application.

In general, the Trustees respond to applications for assistance rather than create their own projects and, in view of this, their aims and key objectives are to safeguard and grow the Charities’ assets whilst utilising income to further the Charities’ Objects.

The Trustees pay due regard to guidance issued by the Charity Commission in deciding what activities the charities should undertake and operate each Charity in accordance with the relevant Charitable Scheme.

The income of the Charities shall in no case be applied in relief of public funds or so that any person may become entitled to a periodical or recurrent benefit.

Applications for assistance should be made in writing to:

The Trustees,
Banbury Charities,
52-54 The Green
Banbury,
Oxfordshire, OX16 9AB.