Freda Ashmore Scholarship Fund
Charity 1025537
Overview
Summary
The Freda Ashmore Scholarship Fund appears to be a narrowly focused philanthropic vehicle embedded in the University of Birmingham School of Medicine ecosystem. Rather than delivering services directly, it uses discretionary annual awards to support people or projects in healthcare professions. Its potential value lies in flexible, targeted support at the boundary between medical education, professional development and health improvement, though the available evidence does not show which needs, disciplines or forms of work it prioritises.
Operational geography
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Edgbaston
Confidence: high
The fund's charitable objects restrict awards to healthcare personnel or projects at the University of Birmingham School of Medicine. Birmingham Medical School is officially located on the University's Edgbaston campus, and Birmingham City Council identifies the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Medical School as being within Edgbaston ward.
- Supplied organisation record, Freda Ashmore Scholarship Fund
Its activity is the provision of awards and grants to healthcare personnel or projects linked to the University of Birmingham School of Medicine; its objects specify awards to personnel or projects within healthcare professions at that School. - University of Birmingham, Birmingham Medical School contact and about pages
Birmingham Medical School is part of the University of Birmingham's main campus in Edgbaston, Birmingham. - Birmingham City Council, Edgbaston Ward Action Plan 2022-2026
The Council describes the University of Birmingham, established as Birmingham Medical School, as being within Edgbaston ward.
Remaining uncertainties
- The available evidence identifies eligibility for grants, rather than the locations of individual current grant recipients or funded projects. Some funded work may take place beyond Edgbaston, but this is not evidenced for the fund itself.
- The fund has no retrieved website, annual report, grant list or impact report that would show whether it supports activity at particular hospitals, other University buildings or locations outside Birmingham.
- The registered address should be treated as a correspondence or trustee address, not evidence of a Birmingham operational site. Charity Commission material also indicates that the charity does not own or lease land or property.
Additional evidence needed
- A current annual report, trustee report or grant register identifying awards made in the latest financial year and the host locations of funded personnel or projects.
- Confirmation from the fund or the University of Birmingham School of Medicine of how awards are administered and whether funded activity is confined to the Edgbaston Medical School campus.
- Official details of any formal delivery arrangements with University Hospitals Birmingham, other NHS trusts or University departments that receive awards from the fund.
Areas of work
- Education/training
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
Who they help
- Other Defined Groups
How they help
- Makes Grants To Individuals
- Makes Grants To Organisations
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A targeted fund within a single institutional ecosystem
The fund appears to concentrate its resources on healthcare personnel or projects linked specifically to the University of Birmingham School of Medicine, rather than serving the wider health sector.
Why it matters
This suggests its role may be to strengthen capability within an established medical-school network. Its effectiveness and reach may therefore depend heavily on how that institution identifies opportunities and connects applicants to the fund.
Show evidence
“Awards are for personnel or projects within the health care professions at the University of Birmingham School of Medicine.”
Source:Charity Commission“Awards and grants are provided to personnel or projects within the Healthcare profession linked to The University of Birmingham School of Medicine.”
Source:Organisation
Its operating model is flexible rather than programme-led
The trustees' discretion and ability to fund either individuals or organisations may indicate a responsive fund able to support varied opportunities, rather than a fixed scholarship scheme with a single beneficiary type.
Why it matters
This flexibility could allow the fund to back emerging professional needs, promising individuals or collaborative projects. It also means that trustee priorities may strongly shape who benefits and what forms of health impact are supported.
Show evidence
“Awards are made annually as deemed appropriate by the trustees in their absolute discretion.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity makes grants to individuals and grants to organisations.”
Source:Charity Commission
The fund may connect education and health improvement
Its stated purposes suggest it may support work whose value is not limited to training alone: investment in healthcare professionals or projects could also contribute to improved care or health outcomes.
Why it matters
This positions the fund as a possible bridge between workforce development and practical health benefit. Understanding whether grants mainly support study, research, service improvement or patient-facing innovation would clarify its distinctive contribution.
Show evidence
“The charity's purposes include education/training and the advancement of health or saving of lives.”
Source:Charity Commission“The provision of awards and grants to personnel or projects within the Healthcare profession.”
Source:Organisation
- Which professions, projects or career stages receive awards.
- Whether grants primarily support education, research, service improvement or direct patient benefit.
- How awards are identified, selected and distributed across the School of Medicine network.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent award recipients, project descriptions, grant amounts and intended outcomes.
- Eligibility, application and trustee decision criteria.
- Evidence of partnerships and the subsequent impact of funded work.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
The provision of awards and grants to personnel or projects within the Healthcare profession linked to The University of Birmingham School of Medicine
Charity objects
TO PROVIDE SUMS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS FOR AWARDS TO PERSONNEL OR PROJECTS WITHIN THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AS SHALL BE DEEMED APPROPRIATE BY THE TRUSTEES IN THEIR ABSOLUTE DISCRETION