“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made, and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.” Nelson Mandela

We aim to change lives
We are a grant-making charitable foundation operating in Lambeth, London. We help make change happen for those affected by modern day poverty and disadvantage. Over the ten years to March 2022 we made 3,547 grants totalling £20,570,159. Through our grant-making we create opportunities and possibilities. Our approach is not to give a hand-out but a hand-up.

View our 2021 Annual Review here
New Director
Interview: Hugh Valentine

Poverty was a miserable human reality in 1667 when Edmund Walcot, our principal benefactor, made his Will. He left money to help relieve it. 2019/20 data testifies to its continued existence: 14.5 million UK citizens living in poverty (the figure includes 4.3 million children, 8.1 million working-age adults and 2.1 million pensioners). In Lambeth, 43% of children live in poverty (after housing costs) and 30% of the general population.

"[The] Walcot Foundation did extremely great for me and my children. You contributed to what I am today (Registered Nurse). Thank you all."
 
"[My] Walcot Foundation grant was an amazing help throughout university."
 
‘Without the grant I would have struggled financially. The Walcot Foundation is a great foundation, and it has helped so many of us from low-income backgrounds.’
 
“I am very grateful. The opportunities opened up to us are vast. It’s not just about financial support, it's also giving confidence and raising self-esteem and self-worth… We are better positioned because of the Walcot Foundation.”
 
"This [building relationships] has been my experience. Interactions with the Walcot Foundation have felt human, fair and honest, which is not always our experience with grant-makers. It felt like you could ask questions and not be afraid of asking silly questions or 'getting it wrong' to the detriment of your application.”

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Poverty in the UK.  Is there really a problem?

Yes. The problem is that poverty is widespread in the United Kingdom.
It harms countless lives, limits human potential, costs large sums of public money, undermines social relations,
all of which can pass from one generation to the next.
It feeds social inequality by denying many people the opportunities others take for granted.

43% of Lambeth's children are growing up in poverty
20% of Lambeth working people are paid less than the London Living Wage
In the UK, before the impact of Covid-19, 14 million people were estimated to be living in poverty:
8 million working-age adults, 4 million children, 2 million pensioners
(data sources: Joseph Rowntree Foundation UK Poverty Report 2019/20 and Lambeth Council)

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