Our History

Twenty Five Years Ago...

“It is desired to establish a charitable trust for the benefit of the community in the Royal County of Berkshire. 

The Trustees have subscribed or caused to be subscribed the sum of £500 to be held by them upon the trusts hereinafter declared.”

These words formed the opening of the original deed establishing our Foundation. From the humble beginnings of the Berkshire Community Trust, 25 years ago, has arisen the energetic and effective grant making Berkshire Community Foundation, which last year made grants totalling over £560,000 to community groups and projects in the Royal County of Berkshire and currently manages endowed funds to the value of over £5.6 million. That original £500 was obviously well managed and invested!

The founding trustees, led by the then Vice Lord Lieutenant Major John Ronald Henderson MBE, signed the original trust deed on 11th November 1985, one of the first community foundations to be incorporated in England. Since then, the vision of those founding trustees has blossomed into an organisation with a mission to inspire local giving to change lives, and a purpose to promote and support local giving for social good, benefit or change in Berkshire.