In past centuries many better off citizens left provision in their Wills for the local poor. Often this was in the form of an asset that was to be preserved - left intact - but used to generate income. Many of these 'permanent endowments' have grown considerably over time, meaning that such charities can operate indefinitely.

Today’s Walcot Foundation is made up of four charities – two bearing the name Walcot after our principal benefector. Three of these are permanently endowed. The Hayle's Charity subsumed many smaller charities - a fascinating list you can see below.

The Walcot Charity and Foundation

Edmund Walcot is our principal benefactor. By his Will of 1667 he left land in what is today North Lambeth to generate money for the relief of the local poor. The charity rightly bears his name as a record of his generosity, and has existed for more than three hundred and fifty years for the benefit of Lambeth people.

The Hayle's Charity

The Hayle's Charity gained its name rather by accident. A parcel of land was purchased by the parish of St Mary Lambeth for the sum of £300, and the income from it used for the poor of the parish.  That had been made possible using surplus monies raised by public subscription at the time of the Restoration for making improvements to the churchyard and Church Street (now Lambeth Road). The land was bought from Robert Hayle, a citizen and haberdasher of London, and Ann his wife. They sold it at the (then) current market value, and by historical accident have had their names remembered by posterity.

Lady Cynthia Charity

In 2009 the Foundation agreed to a request from Lambeth Council to take over its trusteeship of this 20th century charity. Originally it funded the work of a Lambeth day nursery established for children from poorer homes. It brought with it a small permanent endowment now used to generate income for our wider charitable activity.

Administration of the charities

Throughout most of their history and up until the mid 20th century the Walcot and Hayle's charities were administered by the parish of St Mary's Lambeth. Nowadays they are administered by an independent board of trustees known as Governors and a small staff based at the Foundation's offices in Kennington Road, London.

* Over the centuries a number of smaller charities have been subsumed within our remaining charities. They include those of Roger Jeston 1622; Noel Caron 1623; Alice Easton 1640; William Hind 1655; Margaret Oakley 1672; Thomas Rich 1672; John Scaldwell 1678; Thomas Cooper 1695; Jacob Vanderlin 1704; Ralph Snow 1707; Brian Turberville 1718; Countess of Gower 1721; Hayes Fortee's 1783; Jane Wakeling 1786; John Course 1786; Richard Robert 1807; Mary Oakley 1812; Elizabeth Lambert 1814; John Pickton 1821; Grace Fenner 1828; Mary Chapman 1831; Eleanor Dodson 1847; Elizabeth Edridge 1848; Robert Frost 1860; Harry Clapham 1948

Our more recent history

Since 2006 we have evolved our approach, making changes that bring a 21st century perspective to our 17th century purpose of 'the relief of the Lambeth poor'. We focus on whole-life change for our grantees, with the aim of breaking generational cycles of poverty and disadvantage. We do not offer hand outs but a hand up. We use our grants to create opportunities for those denied them by their circumstances. We don't view grantees as 'recipients of our charity' but as partners: their hopes, drive and potential + our grants = new possibilities.

Our Annual Review goes into more detail about our work. Ask us to post you a copy, or see it on our publications page.