Focus Education and Care Founded 1596 | Founder John Whitgift Type of business Charitable trust | |
Location North End, Croydon, England Profiles | ||
The whitgift foundation origin story
The Whitgift Foundation is a charity based in Croydon, South London, England. The purpose of the charity is to provide education for the young and care for the elderly.
Contents
- The whitgift foundation origin story
- History
- Present day
- Schools
- Care homes
- Carers information service
- Other activities
- Clerk to The Whiftgift Foundation
- Current
- Past
- References
The main activities of the charity are the operation of three independent schools, providing sheltered accommodation and nursing care through three care homes and running the Carer's Information Service. In addition, the charity provides bursaries and scholarships in excess of £5million a year.
The foundation is governed by a Court of Governors, including the Bishop of Croydon; the Vicar of Croydon; and nominees of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Croydon Council.
History
The Whitgift Foundation was founded in 1596 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, John Whitgift. His aims were to provide care for the elderly and education for the young.
Originally three separate buildings were built, The Hospital of Holy Trinity (now known as The Almshouses), The School House and Schoolmaster’s House. The latter two were demolished in 1897, leaving the Almshouses as the only remaining original building. The Whitgift Centre, a large shopping mall, now stands where the later Victorian school and surrounding buildings and sports fields were. These buildings were occupied in turn by Whitgift School, prior to its move to south Croydon in 1931, and then by Trinity School, prior to its move to Shirley Park.
Present day
More than 400 years later The Foundation supports over 43% of over 2800 current students at its three independent day schools through generous means-tested bursaries and scholarships amounting to over £5million a year and offers a range of care needs from sheltered accommodation to full nursing care at its three care homes.
Schools
The Whitgift Foundation runs three independent day schools:
Care homes
The Whitgift Foundation provides sheltered accommodation and nursing care through three care homes:
Carer's information service
This service provides advice, information, advocacy and training to carers living in, or caring for someone who lives in, Croydon.
Other activities
The foundation is a major property owner in Croydon including the freehold of Croham Hurst golf course and the freehold and 25% of leasehold of the Whitgift Centre, Croydon, once one of the most successful shopping centres in south-east England circa 1970-1990. It is now much diminished and awaiting demolition to make way for a new shopping centre. The income generated from its property portfolio goes towards maintaining their charitable objectives.
Clerk to The Whiftgift Foundation
The current Clerk is Martin Corney since 2009 when he took over from Raymond Smith who had held the post for twenty-one years. His first achievement was the removal of the HeadMistress Dr Judy Harris.