The charitable work of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs is delivered through the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs Trust, which exists to advance entrepreneurship by supporting organisations that widen access to enterprise education, develop entrepreneurial skills, and create opportunities for people who might otherwise be left behind.

At the Election Court Banquet on 1 July, the Trust's Chairman, Mark Huxley, reflected on the vital role the Trust plays in turning the generosity of Company members into lasting social impact.

"When new Freemen join the Company," he explained, "they promise to donate time and money for charitable works that support the development of entrepreneurs and help bring the opportunities of entrepreneurship to all. We at the Trust are carefully stewarding that money to ensure that it has the maximum impact now, and long into the future."

The Trustee Board, led by Mark alongside Kate Jolly, Rakhitha Dias, and Lord Bilimoria, oversees an annual programme of grant-making supporting charities, schools, universities and social enterprises in the UK and internationally. In addition to funding projects that improve access to business education and enterprise, the Trust also supports the Entrepreneurs' Award in Social Innovation (EASI), the annual Raleigh Lecture, the Drapers' Multi-Academy Trust, and Samuel Wilson's Loan Trust.

Addressing guests, Mark highlighted the wider importance of entrepreneurship as a force for social mobility and economic growth. "Entrepreneurship is a route to success for people who have historically been left behind," he said. "It creates opportunities for those who think differently, for people facing difficult circumstances, and increasingly for those who never imagined they could build a business of their own."

He also reminded members that every contribution to the Trust strengthens its permanent endowment, enabling future generations to continue expanding the Company's charitable impact for centuries to come.

The Trust recognised six beneficiaries in 2026, each demonstrating how entrepreneurship can change lives and strengthen communities.

Crisis Venture Studio, the UK's first charitable venture studio, was established in 2020 to invest in entrepreneurship as a route out of homelessness. The grant funds a co-production workshop bringing entrepreneurs together with Crisis members who have experienced homelessness, giving founders direct insight for building dignified, effective solutions, while giving participants the chance to develop entrepreneurial skills and networks of their own.

Five Talents UK received Trust funding in 2023 to build financial literacy and enterprise skills, with strong results. This year's grant replicates that model in Malakal, South Sudan, funding a tuk-tuk, purchased, equipped and staffed, so trainers can deliver regular lessons in literacy, numeracy and business skills to savings groups. The eventual number of beneficiaries will double, to around 400.

Purple Shoots tackles poverty, unemployment, social isolation and financial exclusion through entrepreneurship. This year's grant expands its self-reliant groups model, helping disadvantaged individuals build confidence, skills and income through their own enterprises. The funding backs a new cohort in Treherbert, Wales, where participants will develop business ideas and financial resilience on the way to sustainable, self-directed incomes. It also serves as a pilot for a scalable model the charity hopes to roll out across other rural communities.

First Star Scholars UK transforms the life chances of young people in care. The grant covers an enterprise skills module for care-experienced Year 13 students: workshops and mentoring that build practical business, financial and employability skills, along with the confidence and networks to move into entrepreneurship, higher education, apprenticeships or other sustainable careers.

Launch It supports young people at risk of being left behind. The grant subsidises a year's business unit at Angel Yard in Edmonton, giving a disadvantaged young entrepreneur access to workspace, coaching, training and mentoring, and a route to long-term economic independence in one of the capital's most deprived communities.

Hatch Enterprise, now in its fourth consecutive year of Trust support, is delivering three expert-led Power Hour Masterclasses equipping underrepresented founders with the practical skills to launch and scale. The programme closes a real gap in accessible early-stage support while building digital resources that keep working long after the sessions end.

Representatives from each organisation were presented to the Company during the Banquet, recognising both their achievements and the important role they play in extending the opportunities of entrepreneurship to those who can benefit most.

NOTES

To apply for a 2027 Grant of up to £5,000, please visit entrepreneurscompany.org/beneficiary-applications

A guide to the Grant-Making process can be downloaded at Grant-Making-Policy-v.2.2.pdf