Today we celebrate the Trust being founded in 1868. Sir Josiah Mason was a Victorian industrialist and philanthropist. Born in 1795 in Kidderminster, he was a 'self-made man with no advantages of birth, or connections, or education, or means'. He taught himself to write and joined a Unitarian Sunday School as they could provide him with a basic education, going on to build a vast fortune from self-taught engineering skills and astute business knowledge.
Josiah built his first Almshouses in 1858, then 10 years later went on to found Sir Josiah Mason Trust.
After many changes to our legal structure over a 150-year period, in 2018, we became a Limited Company and Charity. This new legal entity offers us greater protection and flexibility and enabled us to become the Corporate Trustee of three charities: Sir Josiah Mason's Almshouse Charity, Sir Josiah Mason's Care Charity and Sir Josiah Mason's Relief in Need and Educational Charity.
In July 2019, we welcomed Holy Trinity Heath Town Almshouse Charity and Holte & Bracebridge Charity to our family. These were followed by Thomas Banks Almshouses in 2021. These fantastic, historic charities had all struggled to attract new Trustees to continue and under our management and trusteeship, they can continue to operate in their original name.
All of this would not have been made possible if it were not for this extremely caring and generous man.
To read more about the history of the Trust click the button below
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