The Company of Entrepreneurs is delighted to announce Freeman Entrepreneur Rita W. Bologna became the fourth Patron of the Company of Entrepreneurs Trust after a qualifying donation to the Trust’s Perpetual Fund in January 2022.  She is already a 2021 Principal Benefactor.

Rita has been quite determined to support the Trust and give lasting support to those who follow the path to entrepreneurship since she became a Freeman in November 2020. Rita has already been actively involved in Outreach work.  Rita was a welcome addition to the governance of Company, being installed as Court Assistant in November 2021.  She is a seasoned philanthropist and the Company of Entrepreneurs is excited to have Rita’s continued and generous support.

Rita has been a successful entrepreneur who built her businesses from scratch as a single mother and then went on to sell her companies in 2017.  She takes the opportunity that she has now by giving time, donations and influence on the entrepreneurial cause and making a big difference to even just one person really matters to her.  Her business success was built on recruiting young people into her businesses and developing their skills.  She’s seen them blossom into the future of this country’s economic strength.  This is a passion she wishes to support even though she is no longer running her own business.

“I feel privileged to be part of the journey to full Livery status and able to influence how the Trust benefits others” she said, when congratulated on her donation.  “If I can be instrumental in developing the next generation of business owners, it’s a great legacy”.

As a patron she will be part of the decision making for grants and distributions made from the Trust. She’s already made a big impact with her “Ask an Entrepreneur” session which was extremely well received.  It inspired one student to set up her first business – that’s what you call a result.   Needless to say, Rita has been invited back to provide more inspiration and get people to think “I can do this”, which is her own personal mantra in business.

The Company of Entrepreneurs has a target of increasing the value of the Trust by September 2024 as part of its qualification to become a Livery Company. It’s well on the way towards its target – especially with the generous help of the Patrons and Benefactors.  The sooner this target is reached, the sooner the Trust can start giving out larger awards and supporting bigger projects.  And make a bigger difference.

Patrons are invited to take on additional responsibilities. An annual lunch is held in April each year, which is followed by the final meeting of the Trust’s annual Grants Cycle. Patrons meet and are invited to ask questions of the shortlisted applicants for grants this year. Their inquiry and reflections are invaluable to the Trustee Board in drawing its final conclusions. The beneficiaries are presented formally at the Election Court Banquet in the Summer, and the Patrons are encouraged to attend and be recognised for their support.  Rita is keen to support the Trust, the work of the Company and to encourage others to give back as much as possible.
 

Rita joins the Trust’s existing three Patrons, Judith Donovan CBE, The Drapers’ Company, and Adèle Thorpe.

The Company of Entrepreneurs Trust is a charity registered in England & Wales, number 1166513. 

For more information about the role of Patrons, please contact the Trust Administrator's office.

t: 020 3126 4924.
e: administrator@entrepreneurscompanytrust.org