Wykeham Crown and Manor Trust

The Wykeham Crown and Manor Trust is a charitable trust with deep historical roots in the legacy of Winchester College and Old Wykehamists, originating from the 1939 merger of youth clubs founded in 1903 and 1926. Its core mission is to advance the education, recreation, and holistic development—physical, mental, and spiritual—of young people, particularly boys and young men from disadvantaged backgrounds in Hoxton and Hackney, London. Through enduring philanthropy, it sustains grassroots youth work via club-based facilities, emphasizing inclusion, teamwork, leadership, personal achievement, and societal contribution, with values rooted in tradition, stewardship, tangible impact, and long-term resilience.

The Trust primarily funds the Crown and Manor Club and occasionally affiliated NABC Clubs for Young People, supporting free sporting, academic, social, and mentoring programmes; facility upgrades like sports grounds and equipment; extracurricular learning; and core operational costs. Priorities center on amateur sport, youth recreation, education, and community activities that deliver direct, real-life benefits to local youth in high-deprivation areas, fostering measurable personal and social outcomes.

Eligibility is highly targeted: organisations must operate in the London Borough of Hackney (especially Hoxton), with a preference for small, grassroots youth clubs demonstrating strong local roots and sustainable impact; no specific legal entity or income thresholds are stated, but funding favors established partners over large charities. It does not accept unsolicited applications—decisions are made discretionally by seven trustees at annual meetings around June 30, with no public deadlines or forms. Typical grants range £35,000–£45,000 annually (total expenditure ~£40,000–£44,000), covering core, project, and capital needs.

Distinctive for its unwavering loyalty to a flagship local club over decades, avoidance of open competitions, and ethos of personal relationships and alumni-driven support, the Trust excludes broader or non-local initiatives, prioritizing specialised, tradition-bound youth provision in Hackney.