Pattenmakers Company Charitable Foundation

The Pattenmakers Company Charitable Foundation, the charitable arm of the Worshipful Company of Pattenmakers—a City of London livery company chartered in 1670 with philanthropy formalized in 1983—advances education, relieves hardship, and promotes welfare rooted in its historic ties to shoemaking trades, City civic life, and military service. Guided by values of charitable service, tradition blended with modern relevance, and relationship-driven impact, it favors flexible, targeted support identified through livery networks rather than open calls, distinguishing it as a heritage-linked funder bridging craft preservation with contemporary needs like orthopaedic care and urban youth support.

It prioritizes four themes: education via bursaries, mentoring at City of London schools, and St Paul’s Cathedral Chorister sponsorship; footwear industry initiatives including Young Manager Awards, orthopaedic shoe apprenticeships, design competitions, and bespoke footwear for injured personnel; City civic and community efforts supporting inner-city youth, families, homelessness via St Mary-le-Bow, and domestic abuse services like I Choose Freedom; and armed forces welfare, notably Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre projects such as café refurbishments. Grants blend individual aid (bursaries, equipment) with organisational project, capital, and occasional core funding for trusted partners.

Eligible entities are UK-registered charities and academic institutions, with no formal income thresholds but preference for small-to-medium organisations linked to London (especially City boroughs), England, or Wales via trades or military ties; geographic base unrestricted but activities focused there. Typical grants range £1,000–£10,000, decided quarterly by trustees without deadlines or unsolicited applications—nominations come via livery contacts, trade bodies, or institutions. It excludes unaligned activities, favoring concrete impact in its niches over broad national efforts, uniquely prioritizing orthopaedic footwear, livery education, and military rehab few others target.