The Worshipful Company Of Butchers General Charities

Quick Stats

• Charity Number: 257928
• Annual Income: £67,448 (2024)
• Annual Expenditure: £99,315 (2024)
• Grant Range: £20,000 per annum (Major Awards), plus Minor Awards
• Funding Period: 3 years minimum for Major Awards
• Geographic Focus: Preference for charities working in or near the City of London
• Application Method: Liveryman sponsorship required

Contact Details

Address: Butchers Hall, 87 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1A 7EB

Phone: 020 3931 8350

Email: clerk@butchershall.com

Website: www.butchershall.com/wcb/charity

Overview

The Worshipful Company of Butchers General Charities (Charity Number 257928) is the charitable arm of one of London's oldest Livery Companies, tracing its roots to 975 AD and ranking 24th in order of precedence among the 110 City of London Livery Companies. Granted its Royal Charter by King James I in 1605, the Company has been a significant power behind the meat trade in the City of London for over a millennium. The charity makes grants using investment income generated each financial year, following a structured approach that emphasizes long-term relationships and active engagement between Liverymen and beneficiary charities. The charity's three core principles are Charity, Education, and Fellowship, with a distinctive approach that goes beyond financial support to include hands-on business advice, professional introductions, and ongoing mentorship from members of the Livery.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Major Awards: £20,000 per annum for a minimum of 3 years

• Policy supports 2-3 major beneficiaries at any one time
• Current major beneficiaries (funded on a three-year cycle):
• Teach First
• Farms For City Children
• Next major award selection cycle begins January 2026

Minor Awards: Amount varies

• Made to a limited number of good causes annually
• Reviewed each year but can be expected to be repetitive
• For causes with which the WCB is linked and represented
• Not necessarily national in scope

Priority Areas

The charity's constitutional purposes focus on:

• Relief of persons in distress who have a connection with the meat trade
• General charitable purposes with a preference for charities working in or near to the City of London

The charity particularly values:

• Charities where their support can make a real difference
• Organizations where WCB can provide practical engagement as well as financial support
• Demonstrable relationships between the Company and the charity

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the charity:

• Focuses on registered charities only
• Requires a connection to either the meat trade or the City of London
• Limits support to a small number of beneficiaries to ensure meaningful impact

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Governance and Leadership

Court of the Worshipful Company (2025-2026)

Master: Gwyn Howells

Deputy Master: PM Dr Margaret Boanas

Wardens (5):

• Tony Stanton
• Steve Chick
• Tim Stone
• Jim Connell
• Amanda Buitelaar

Renter Assistant: Peter Allen

Court Assistants (15 members including the above-named individuals plus others)

The Court comprises the Master, 5 Wardens, and 15 Assistants, with the Renter Assistant being one of the Court members. The time taken from admission to the Livery to consideration for Court membership is currently 13 years.

Honorary Chaplain: Rev'd Father Marcus Walker (also Chaplain of St Bartholomew the Great)

Trustees: 2 trustees oversee the General Charities (charity number 257928), with no trustees receiving remuneration or benefits from the charity.

Recent Leadership

John Allton Jones, former CEO of Smithfield Foods, served as Master for 2024-2025. In his election speech, Warden Jim Connell was noted as one of the Wardens elected for the 2024-25 term, with new Wardens described as “pillar heads accountable for delivering the targets in the recovery plan for Finance, Commercial, Revenue, Industry and Livery.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Critical Requirement: All applications must be supported by a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers who must:

• Propose the charity for consideration
• Act as liaison between WCB and the charity throughout the application process
• Maintain an active relationship between the Company and the charity throughout the funding period (in the event of successful selection)

Application Process:

1. Identify and secure support from a Liveryman sponsor
2. The Liveryman submits the nomination on behalf of the charity
3. The General Charity Committee reviews applications against their essential criteria
4. Applications are considered during the selection cycle

Note: If you do not know a Liveryman, you may contact the Deputy Clerk at 020 3931 8350 or clerk@butchershall.com to discuss potential pathways to introduction, though having an existing connection to a Liveryman significantly strengthens any application.

Selection Criteria

The General Charity Committee uses guidelines requiring that 3-4 essential criteria be met before support is agreed:

1. Demonstrable Relationship: WCB should have a demonstrable relationship with the charity, with WCB providing practical engagement as well as financial support

1. Real Impact: WCB wishes to provide support to a charity where it can make a real difference

1. Reasonable Administrative Expenses: The administrative expenses of the charity should be reviewed and considered reasonable in the context of the scope and size of the charity

1. Profile Enhancement: The charity provides WCB with profile enhancement opportunities

Decision Timeline

• Next Major Award Cycle: Applications for the next selection cycle begin January 2026
• Specific decision timelines are not publicly stated but appear to align with the Company's annual cycle of Court meetings
• Successful charities are typically supported for a minimum 3-year period

Reapplication Policy

The charity operates on a cyclical model:

• Major beneficiaries are funded on three-year cycles
• At the end of the funding period, new applications are considered
• Previous beneficiaries may potentially be considered for renewal or future support
• The policy maintains 2-3 major beneficiaries at any time, suggesting limited availability for new applicants

Application Success Factors

Liveryman Engagement is Essential

The most critical factor for success is securing a Liveryman sponsor who is genuinely engaged with your cause. As stated in the charity's policy: "The nomination should be supported by a Liveryman of the Butchers' Company, who would remain a liaison between WCB and the Charity, throughout the application process and remain actively engaged in the event of a successful selection."

Beyond Financial Support

The WCB emphasizes that their value proposition extends beyond funding. According to their strategy: “The strategy includes a commitment for Liverymen to engage with the individual charity to provide hands-on business advice and introductions along with other forms of support.” Charities should be prepared to welcome and utilize this broader engagement.

Evidence of Impact

Research commissioned by the WCB on one of their major beneficiaries, Farms for City Children, demonstrates their interest in measurable outcomes. The research showed that “relationships improve, children develop resilience and show courage in trying new things, and the activities explicitly link to the school curriculum, animating learning and bringing lessons to life, with the ripple of this impact remaining when children return to school.” Applications should clearly articulate anticipated impact.

Administrative Efficiency

One of the essential criteria is that “the administrative expenses of the charity should be reviewed and considered reasonable in the context of the scope and size of the charity.” Ensure your charity demonstrates sound financial management with appropriate overhead ratios.

Connection to Mission

While the charity has broad purposes (“general charitable purposes with a preference for charities working in or near to the City of London”), demonstrating a connection to either the meat trade or the City of London strengthens applications. Current major beneficiaries (Teach First and Farms for City Children) show the breadth of causes considered when strong Liveryman engagement exists.

Three-Year Commitment

The WCB seeks “support should be provided for a period of at least 3 years” and offers “meaningful sums which could be in the region of £20,000 per annum.” Applications should present a three-year plan showing how sustained support would enable transformational impact.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Liveryman sponsorship is mandatory – without an engaged Liveryman champion, your application cannot proceed. Building this relationship is the essential first step.

• Think relationship, not transaction – The WCB's model emphasizes “demonstrable relationship with the charity eg WCB providing practical engagement as well as financial support.” They want to be actively involved partners, not just funders.

• Limited opportunities – With only 2-3 major beneficiaries supported at any time on three-year cycles, competition is intense. The next selection cycle begins January 2026.

• £20,000 per year for three years – Successful applicants receive approximately £60,000 total over the funding period, making this a significant grant opportunity for the right organizations.

• City of London or meat trade connections help – While not absolute requirements, demonstrating relevance to either the meat industry or the City of London geography aligns with the charity's stated preferences.

• Administrative efficiency matters – One of the 3-4 essential criteria explicitly addresses overhead costs. Ensure your charity demonstrates sound financial stewardship.

• Welcome Liveryman engagement – The charity expects beneficiaries to actively engage with Liverymen for “hands-on business advice, introductions and other forms of support.” Organizations that can effectively utilize this mentorship will be more attractive applicants.

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• Chartered Accountants' Livery Charity
• The International Bankers Charitable Trust
• Makers of Playing Cards Charity
• The Tobacco Pipe Makers and Tobacco Trade Benevolent Fund
• Worshipful Company of Insurers Charitable Trust
• THE CADOGAN CHARITY
• The Innholders' Charitable Foundation
• William Kendall's Charity (Wax Chandlers Company)
• Mitchell City of London Charity
• P H Holt Foundation

References

• Charity Commission Register of Charities, “THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF BUTCHERS GENERAL CHARITIES - 257928”, https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/257928

• The Worshipful Company of Butchers, “Charity”, https://www.butchershall.com/wcb/charity

• The Worshipful Company of Butchers, “The Court of the Worshipful Company of Butchers”, https://www.butchershall.com/wcb/the-company/the-court-staff

• The Worshipful Company of Butchers, “About The Worshipful Company of Butchers”, https://www.butchershall.com/wcb/the-company

• Meat Management, “Worshipful Company of Butchers elects new Master for 2024”, https://meatmanagement.com/news/wcb-elects-new-master-at-common-hall/84007.article

• The Worshipful Company of Butchers, “Charity Applications for 2020-2022 Major Awards Open”, https://www.butchershall.com/wcb/news/charity-applications-for-2020-2022-major-awards-open

• Nuffield Farming Scholarships, “Worshipful Company of Butchers”, https://www.nuffieldscholar.org/sponsors/our-sponsors/worshipful-company-butchers