Thomas Howell's Education Fund for North Wales

Thomas Howell's Education Fund for North Wales, established under the 16th-century will of Welsh merchant Thomas Howell, champions educational access and social mobility for disadvantaged young people under 25 in high-deprivation areas. Rooted in values of inclusivity, equity, and opportunity creation, it drives funding through a philosophy of reducing educational inequality, preventing exclusion, and fostering achievement irrespective of gender. Believing transformative change arises from targeted interventions enabling youth to pursue qualifications, build resilience, and unlock potential, it partners with educational institutions for innovative, locally relevant programs emphasizing personal development and community empowerment.

The Fund prioritizes education-focused initiatives across primary, secondary, further, and higher levels, supporting student inclusiveness for young people facing barriers like financial hardship, digital poverty, and academic exclusion in deprived communities. It funds relieving student hardship through block grants to institutions aiding acute financial needs, small capital projects enriching learning environments with inclusive facilities, and innovative outdoor activities harnessing North Wales' landscapes for leadership training, environmental awareness, personal qualities development, resilience building, and confidence enhancement. Interventions include youth development programs promoting skills training, employability preparation, and achievement recognition via prizes for outstanding performance, targeting care leavers, low-income families' children, and youth at risk of disengagement. Supported activities encompass after-school enrichment, mentoring schemes, therapeutic outdoor education, peer support for educational transitions, and creative interventions addressing isolation, low aspiration, and learning gaps in rural and urban deprivation settings, with emphasis on preventative, holistic, and community-led approaches yielding lasting social mobility.

Exclusions encompass individual grants, core funding, emergency relief, capacity building, and activities statutorily funded by public bodies. Distinctive for its historic Welsh philanthropic roots managed by the Drapers' Company, North Wales-exclusive focus on deprived rural landscapes and urban pockets, and local expert-led decisions, it prioritizes grassroots educational charities delivering creative, evidence-based interventions for under-served youth, valuing innovation in outdoor learning, hardship alleviation, and excellence rewards over conventional provision.