The William Henry, 2nd Lord Leigh Memorial Fund
Charity 214321
Overview
Summary
The William Henry, 2nd Lord Leigh Memorial Fund appears to be a trustee-directed grant-maker with an unusually broad charitable remit. Its role is less that of a specialist provider than a flexible funding vehicle: it can support both Masonic and non-Masonic charitable causes across multiple beneficiary groups and issue areas. This breadth may allow it to respond to varied needs, but the available evidence does not show how trustees prioritise grants, where funding is concentrated, or which relationships shape its decisions.
Operational geography
Coverage: Regional
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission record directly reports that the fund operates in Birmingham City, but it does not identify any Birmingham wards, neighbourhoods, venues or service locations. No ward or place can be included confidently.
- The fund is a grant-making charity rather than a direct service provider. Its published record does not name current Birmingham grantees, the locations of funded activity, or the scale of funding within Birmingham.
- There is no evidence of a Birmingham physical site. The registered correspondence address should not be treated as an operational site in Birmingham.
- No material delivery partnerships or project operators in Birmingham were identified from the available authoritative record.
Additional evidence needed
- A current grants list or trustees' report identifying recipient organisations, projects and locations of grants made in Birmingham.
- Official information from the fund or named grantees confirming where Birmingham-funded activity is delivered.
- Evidence of any regular meeting, administrative or operational venue used by the fund in Birmingham.
Areas of work
- Accommodation/housing
- Armed Forces/emergency Service Efficiency
- Arts/culture/heritage/science
- Disability
- General Charitable Purposes
- Overseas Aid/famine Relief
- Recreation
- Religious Activities
- The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives
- The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty
Who they help
- Children/young People
- Elderly/old People
- Other Charities Or Voluntary Bodies
- People With Disabilities
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Makes Grants To Organisations
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A flexible fund rather than a single-cause charity
The fund appears designed to direct grants wherever trustees judge charitable value exists, rather than being bound to one defined social issue, population or locality.
Why it matters
This helps distinguish the organisation from charities with a fixed mission. Its potential contribution may lie in adaptability and in filling gaps that fall between more specialised funders.
Show evidence
“FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES AND OBJECTS (MASONIC OR OTHERWISE) AS MAY BE DETERMINED.”
Source:Charity Commission“GRANT-MAKING MASONIC CHARITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES AND OBJECT (MASONIC OR OTHERWISE) AS THE MAJORITY OF THE TRUSTEES SHALL FOR THE TIME TO TIME DIRECT.”
Source:Charity Commission
Masonic identity may be a network strength, not a funding boundary
The organisation is identified as Masonic, yet its stated remit expressly includes non-Masonic charities and objects. This may indicate that Masonic relationships provide governance, trust or referral routes while intended public benefit extends beyond that network.
Why it matters
This suggests a possible bridging role: the fund could connect a membership-based tradition of giving with wider voluntary-sector needs, rather than serving only Masonic institutions.
Show evidence
“GRANT-MAKING MASONIC CHARITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES AND OBJECT (MASONIC OR OTHERWISE) AS THE MAJORITY OF THE TRUSTEES SHALL FOR THE TIME TO TIME DIRECT.”
Source:Charity Commission“FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES AND OBJECTS (MASONIC OR OTHERWISE) AS MAY BE DETERMINED.”
Source:Charity Commission
Its remit spans needs that are rarely addressed by one funding strategy
The stated causes combine poverty, health, disability, housing, overseas relief, culture, religion, emergency services and recreation. This may reflect an intentionally general-purpose endowment rather than a coherent thematic programme.
Why it matters
The breadth creates opportunity for responsive support, but also raises a useful question about whether grants form recognisable patterns or are dispersed across unrelated causes.
Show evidence
“General Charitable Purposes, The Advancement Of Health Or Saving Of Lives, Disability, The Prevention Or Relief Of Poverty, Overseas Aid/famine Relief, Accommodation/housing, Religious Activities, Arts/culture/heritage/science, Armed Forces/emergency Service Efficiency, Recreation”
Source:Charity Commission“Makes Grants To Organisations”
Source:Charity Commission
- Which charities, places and causes have actually received grants, and in what amounts.
- How trustees choose between Masonic and non-Masonic applicants or between the many eligible purposes.
- Whether the fund has a geographic focus, recurring partners or a deliberate approach to underserved needs.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent annual reports, accounts and grant recipient lists, including grant values and purposes.
- Trustee information, grant criteria and application guidance.
- Evidence of partnerships, referral routes and the geographic distribution of grants.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
GRANT-MAKING MASONIC CHARITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES AND OBJECT (MASONIC OR OTHERWISE) AS THE MAJORITY OF THE TRUSTEES SHALL FOR THE TIME TO TIME DIRECT.
Charity objects
FOR THE BENEFIT OF SUCH CHARITIES AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS SOCIETIES AND OBJECTS (MASONIC OR OTHERWISE) AS MAY BE DETERMINED.