The James & Shirley Sherwood Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £101,872 (2024)
• Success Rate: Not applicable - trustee discretion only
• Decision Time: Not applicable - no public process
• Grant Range: Up to £500,000 (based on documented grants)
• Geographic Focus: England and Wales, with international reach (USA, Italy, Australia, South Africa)

Contact Details

Email: Foundation@jbsmanagement.com

Phone: 020 7373 2216

Address: 24 The Boltons, London SW10 9SU

Charity Commission: Register number 1194842

Overview

The James & Shirley Sherwood Foundation was established in 2021 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation following the death of entrepreneur James Sherwood in May 2020. The foundation honors James Blair Sherwood (1933-2020), the American-born British businessman who founded Sea Containers and created the luxury Orient-Express hotel group (now Belmond), and his wife Dr. Shirley Angela Sherwood OBE, a distinguished botanist and collector of botanical art.

The foundation operates as a private family grant-making trust, with grants awarded at the absolute discretion of the three trustees. With annual expenditure ranging from £100,000 to £260,000, the foundation makes strategic grants primarily in areas reflecting the founders' lifelong passions: education (particularly biology and botany), botanical art, culture, heritage, and science. The foundation operates across England and Wales with additional international reach reflecting the Sherwood family's global connections.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate specific grant programs. All grants are made at trustee discretion without public application processes.

Priority Areas

• Education: Particularly biology, botany, and related sciences
• Botanical Art: Support for galleries, collections, exhibitions, and artists
• Culture and Heritage: Museums, galleries, and heritage preservation
• Science: Research and education in botany and conservation
• International Projects: Work in Italy, Australia, South Africa, and the USA

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's narrow focus suggests they do not fund:

• General charitable appeals unrelated to their specific interests
• Organizations without clear connections to their priority areas
• Routine operating costs for large established charities
• Individual welfare or direct service provision

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Governance and Leadership

Dr. Shirley Angela Masser Sherwood DPhil OBE (Chair)

• Distinguished botanist and collector with world's largest contemporary botanical art collection
• St Anne's College, Oxford alumna (BA and DPhil in Botany)
• Appointed OBE in 2012 for services to botanical art
• Established Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens

Simon Michael Cross Sherwood MA, MBA (Trustee)

• Son from Dr. Sherwood's first marriage

Charles Nigel Cross Sherwood MA MBA MSc (Trustee)

• Son from Dr. Sherwood's first marriage

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The James & Shirley Sherwood Foundation operates as a private family foundation where grants are made at the absolute discretion of the trustees. Grants are typically made to institutions with personal connections to the Sherwood family or organizations operating in the foundation's specific areas of interest.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on documented grant-making patterns, the foundation appears to support:

• Institutions with Direct Family Connections: Dr. Sherwood's alma mater St Anne's College received their largest documented grant (£500,000)
• Organizations in Botanical Art: Institutions aligned with Dr. Sherwood's pioneering work in botanical illustration
• Universities in Biology/Botany: Academic institutions with excellence in biological sciences
• Geographic Connections: Projects in specific regions where the family has business or personal connections (Venice, other Belmond hotel locations)

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants made at trustee discretion without formal application cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's private nature, success factors for organizations hoping to attract support include:

• Personal Connections: The £500,000 St Anne's College grant demonstrates that personal connections to the Sherwood family are paramount
• Botanical Art Excellence: Organizations working in contemporary botanical illustration aligned with Dr. Sherwood's collection focus
• Biology Education: Institutions demonstrating excellence in biological sciences, particularly botany
• Heritage Significance: Projects with cultural or heritage components reflecting James Sherwood's work restoring historic luxury trains and hotels
• Endowment Focus: Preference for creating lasting legacies through endowments rather than short-term project funding

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process - private family foundation making grants at trustee discretion only
• Personal connections paramount - documented grants reflect direct connections to the Sherwood family
• Botanical art and biology focus - Dr. Sherwood's twin passions drive foundation priorities
• Major gifts possible - despite modest annual expenditure, made a £500,000 endowment to St Anne's College
• International scope - operates in specific countries reflecting family's global connections
• Legacy and endowment preference - focuses on creating permanent institutional capacity rather than project funding
• Heritage and culture valued - honors James Sherwood's luxury hospitality and cultural heritage legacy

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The Behrens Foundation
• Veronica and Lars Bane Foundation CIO
• The Dow Clewer Foundation
• The Finborough Foundation
• THE DAVID FAMILY FOUNDATION
• The Du Plessis Family Foundation
• THE CONWAY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
• The Lehman Brothers Foundation Europe
• The Wyn and Ken Lo Memorial Foundation
• Rockcliffe Charitable Trust

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities: The James & Shirley Sherwood Foundation (Charity No. 1194842). https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5178504

• St Anne's College, Oxford. "St Anne's College Receives Transformational Gift from The James and Shirley Sherwood Foundation." https://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk/st-annes-college-receives-transformational-gift

• The Washington Post. “James Sherwood, shipping executive who revived the Orient Express, dies at 86.”

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. “Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art.” https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-in-the-gardens/shirley-sherwood-gallery-of-botanical-art

• The Shirley Sherwood Collection. https://shirleysherwood.com/