We aim to change lives

We are an independent foundation operating solely in the London borough of Lambeth. Our Vision is a Lambeth in which all young people can thrive.
 
In order to support this, we offer a range of economic and social support, primarily to young individuals, schools and community groups so as to transform their prospects in the borough.

Poverty was a miserable human reality in 1667 when Edmund Walcot, our principal benefactor, made his Will. He left money to help relieve it. Lambeth is still a community which knows disadvantage, and that disadvantage can take many forms, including health, education, enterprise and hope. 32% of pupils at Lambeth’s schools meet eligibility criteria for free school meals (against a national average of 17%) and within that statistic are thousands of individual stories, and all kinds of hopes, dreams and skills waiting to be discovered.

"[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.”

To mark the end of BounceBack in October 2024, we commissioned 10 young people who had taken part in the programme to make a short film about their experiences of looking for work in Lambeth. This is what they created​   More...

Great to learn that our partners at Katakata have been recognised for their wonderful work via a Big Issue Change Maker Award and have also recently been featured on Channel 4 news, highlighting their incredible inclusive hiring practices. More...

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)

Any money you give extends the reach of our work - find out more