William Leech Charity

Charity Details

Full Name: The William Leech Foundation Limited – The Foundation Trust
Founded: 1972
Type: Independent
Where Operates: North East England
Headquarters: Newcastle, NE1 8DF
Charity No: 265491

History and Activities

Sir William Leech (1900 -1990) was a Tyneside based housebuilder, the founder and chairman of William Leech PLC. For many decades the business was privately owned, but in 1976, as William neared the end of his career, the decision was taken to float the company on the London Stock Exchange. This at a stroke made him a very wealthy man. By 1979, the company was building 2,500 homes a year across the country. In 1985, the business was sold to CH Beazer (Holdings) PLC.

In 1972, William established The William Leech Property Trust, endowing it with 300 tenanted investment properties he had personally owned, which in 1988 became known as the William Leech Charity. Unlike William’s other foundations, the Charity is a grant-making organization established to support front line charitable organizations. At Newcastle University, William Leech made large gifts in support of medical research vested in eight funds held by the University’s development trust, supporting chairs in Biomedical Science, Renal Transplantation, Aging and Chronic Disease, Neuroscience, Muscoskeletal Disorders, Immunology, Primary Care and Bioengineering. Between them, these funds are valued in excess of £7.5 million, supporting groundbreaking research at the University for the benefit of the public at large.

In 1980, William Leech retired to High House, near Morpeth, Northumberland, where he died ten years later. He was survived by his wife Lady Ellen. After William’s death, his wife, Lady Ellen, oversaw the charities and their investments. In 1997, she established The Lady Leech Fund of the William Leech Charity through the donation of a portfolio of shares. When she died in 1999 the residue of her estate was added to the fund, which makes grants to charities mainly within the North East, particularly in support of disadvantaged children. The William Leech Charity is administered independently from the three religious foundations and funds at Newcastle University. In 2017/18, it made grants totalling £618,216 and at year-end had investments valued at £18,264,265. The trustees, consistent with William’s philanthropic intent, support “local community-spirited people who create and sustain interest in the voluntary sector, and they particularly want to support those who are voluntarily helping others; those with an active Christian involvement; and those who are engaged in areas of great deprivation.” The idea is that a small amount of money combined with volunteering can produce a big impact. Beneficiaries in 2017/18 included The People’s Kitchen in Newcastle (£15,000), Oasis Aquila Housing (£7,000) and the Durham Association of Boys and Girls Clubs (£5,000). In total, 80 grants were made during the year, averaging £7,728.

Vital Statistics (year to 28/02/2018)

Website
http://www.williamleechcharity.org.uk/

References