Words by Smiley Team
In the late 1940s, Great Universal Stores was one of the UK’s leading businesses.
Led by Sir Isaac Wolfson for almost 40 years, the business had almost 80 different companies, and was best known for its catalogue and mail order services.
In 1955 Sir Isaac also set up the Wolfson Foundation, now chaired by his granddaughter, Dame Janet Wolfson de Botton.
Dame Janet is one of the country’s leading philanthropists, and to date the foundation has gifted more than £1bn to 14,000 charitable organisations across the UK.
She was recently named as one of the 30 leading donors in the UK in the Sunday Times Giving List, and has also been awarded the Carnegie Medal of philanthropy for her commitment to funding good causes.
The foundation’s giving focuses in the areas of arts, culture, education and health, and over the next five years they have pledged to make grants worth £175m, with a focus on research and education.
One recent organisation to benefit from a grant made by the foundation is the University of Lincoln, who received a £1m grant to improve rural healthcare around the world.
Commenting on the award Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “There is an important need for high-quality research to address the crucial but largely neglected subject of rural healthcare – in both relatively affluent societies like the UK or in countries with much more limited resources.
“We very much welcome the University of Lincoln’s initiative in this area and are delighted to support the new Lincoln International Institute for Rural Health.”
To find out more about the Wolfson Foundation visit their website or follow them on Twitter.
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