The Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales is a Livery Company of the City of London, open to members of ICAEW.

As well as providing networking opportunities, supporting the profession and participating in the City’s governance, the company raises significant funding for its associated charity, the Chartered Accountants’ Livery Charity.

Sally O’Neill, Livery Charity Trustee, says: “Through the generosity of donations from livery members, bolstered by investment income, we were able to give grants in excess of £200,000 in our last financial year. These grants went to more than 30 organisations doing amazing work, including the Prisoners’ Education Trust and Kingston Bereavement Support.”

The charity, following a model adopted widely in the Livery community, is an independent organisation with its own board of trustees who meet four times a year to decide how the funding is distributed.

O’Neill, who has been a trustee of the charity for three years, says: “As trustees a major responsibility is to sift through and make decisions on grant applications. We make this process as straightforward as we can, with full information and grant forms on our website.

“The grants we provide are up to £5,000 and we consider multi-year funding, as well as very much encouraging applications sponsored by livery members.”

If you know of a charity who would benefit from funding, you can apply using an online form, whether a livery member or not.

Creating partnerships

In addition to grants, the Livery Charity offers a Major Project Award, which provides up to £225,000 over three years. “This is a hotly contested process, as the award offers a really significant sum that enables real change and impact,” explains O’Neill.

For the past three years, the beneficiary of the award was Beyond Food Foundation, which has supported more than 7,000 people since it was established in 2009. The foundation offers training centred around food to help those who have experience trauma or mental health to get make a positive change in their lives.

“We funded two FreshLife programmes per year for three years offering 150 individuals the opportunity to get back into work,” says O’Neill. “The programme uses food as a way to inspire vulnerable people and remove barriers that inhibit them from securing financial independence.”

The FreshLife programme includes food-based life-skills, employability classes, an introduction to hospitality and barista training as well as an immersive experience in hospitality. “Food plays a crucial role in helping people to live healthier lives, stand on their own two feet and understand healthy life choice – both physically and mentally,” says O’Neill. “And the success rates are impressive – 90% of the people who complete the programme secure a City & Guilds Certificate. And 86% progress into paid employment within 12 months.”

The foundation recently moved their operations to The Foundry, in a strategic partnership with the West Ham Foundation - the charitable arm of West Ham United. West Ham Foundation exists to create opportunities, build confidence, and support people across east London and beyond. 

O’Neill has been able to visit the new site. “I saw at close hand the amazing work the foundation is doing there with youngsters, teaching them about good food, while making an amazing meal as a team which they then sit and eat together.”

On 15 June, the Livery Charity announced that the fifth recipient of the MPA would be LTSB (Leadership Through Sport and Business). The charity supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to access career paths that might feel out of reach want. The livery company will be supporting LTSB from 2026 to 2029.

O’Neill says: “It is another amazing organisation and we are very excited to be funding a very specific programme with them that aligns very closely to our charitable purpose.”

Volunteers welcome

As well as funding, the Livery Charity encourages livery members to volunteer for the charities it supports, including FreshLife and educational programmes.

Additionally, members have run half and full marathons, completed Tough Mudder challenges and other fundraisers on the livery’s behalf, in turn supporting the smaller charities who rely on this funding.

So, if you’re feeling inspired to volunteer or fundraise this week, find out how you can get involved with the Livery Company and make your mark.