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The Clothworkers' Foundation
The Clothworkers' Foundation was established in 1977 by The Clothworkers' Company, a Livery Company incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528 and ranked among the...
The Clothworkers' Foundation
The Clothworkers' Foundation was established in 1977 by The Clothworkers' Company, a Livery Company incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528 and ranked among the Great Twelve. The Company's wealth originates in the medieval wool trade, later transforming into a diversified endowment built on centuries of City of London freehold and leasehold property, alongside financial investments. A service company, Ramteazle Limited, employs the staff that operates both the Foundation and its parent Company. Grantmaking focuses on capital infrastructure — building refurbishments, vehicles, IT systems — for small- and medium-sized charities working with disadvantaged communities across the UK. The Foundation does not fund revenue costs or individuals. Alongside traditional grants, a Social Investment Fund deploys capital through social loans and other instruments, while the underlying endowment holds significant commercial property including 50 Fenchurch Street, Clothworkers' Hall on Mincing Lane, and a West End freehold, making real estate both an investment asset and an operational base. Hamesh Patel oversees finance, property and investments as a Director, working alongside CEO Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar and a board chaired by property solicitor Susanna Priestley O'Leary. The Foundation participates in the Funders for Race Equality Alliance, where Proactive Programmes Manager Nelly Koko-Konan co-chairs the steering group, and maintains a strategic partnership with CAST on digital grantmaking. Its recent posture has been further shaped by a proactive approach to AI in grantmaking explored through that same CAST collaboration. The Foundation operates as a distinct legal entity from its parent Livery Company while drawing its entire mandate and much of its capital from it — a structure that separates charitable purpose from the Company's fraternal and City-facing functions, yet ties the Foundation's long-term capacity to a single, centuries-old property endowment.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1977
Location
Region
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Corporate office
London, United Kingdom
Principals
Jocelyn Stuart-Grumbar
CEO
Hamesh Patel
Director of Finance, Property and Investments
Susanna Priestley O'Leary
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is the legal and operational relationship between The Clothworkers' Foundation and The Clothworkers' Company?
The Clothworkers' Company — one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London — is the corporate trustee and founder of the Foundation, which was established in 1977 as a separate registered charity. Both entities are served by staff employed through a common service company, Ramteazle Limited. The Foundation receives its endowment from the Company but operates with independent grantmaking governance under its own board of trustees.
What does the Foundation fund, and what does it expressly exclude?
The Foundation provides capital grants for infrastructure — building works, vehicles, IT equipment, and fittings — to small- and medium-sized UK charities and social enterprises supporting disadvantaged communities. It does not fund revenue costs, individual sponsorship, or unrestricted core funding. The grantmaking is confined to the United Kingdom and is not available to organisations outside the charitable and social-business sectors.
How does the Foundation's social investment activity work alongside its grant programmes?
A dedicated Social Investment Fund operates alongside grantmaking, deploying capital through social loans and similar instruments to organisations that can generate a financial return while delivering social impact. This allows the Foundation to recycle capital and support a broader range of financing needs than grants alone can address, though the portfolio remains UK-focused and smaller than the main capital grants programme.
Who makes investment decisions for the Foundation's endowment?
Hamesh Patel serves as Director of Finance, Property and Investments, overseeing the endowment portfolio which includes significant commercial real estate such as 50 Fenchurch Street and Clothworkers' Hall on Mincing Lane. The board of trustees, chaired by property solicitor Susanna Priestley O'Leary, holds ultimate fiduciary responsibility for the investment strategy.
What is the origin of the wealth that endows the Foundation?
The wealth traces back to The Clothworkers' Company, incorporated by Royal Charter in 1528 as a guild for cloth finishers in the City of London. Over five centuries the Company accumulated substantial City freehold and leasehold property, along with financial assets, which were partially settled into the Foundation upon its creation in 1977. No operating business or industrial activity generates the endowment today — it is a pure property and investment portfolio.
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