Supporting the children, families
and communities of Southwark
WHAT WE DO
Founded in 1885, Charterhouse in Southwark is one of the longest serving charities in London. We provide funds to help the young people of Southwark by raising their aspirations beyond limits imposed by their circumstances.
We work in partnership with a number of service providers for children in the Borough to achieve these aims.
OUR HISTORY
Cover photograph from the Charterhouse in Southwark report in 1977.
The first two houses acquired by the Mission, drawn by JP Gulch from the window of the lodging house opposite.
Looking North along Crosby Row with the Mission on the right.
The charity was founded as ‘The Charterhouse Mission’ in 1885 by Old Carthusians of Charterhouse School and initially located at 40 Tabard Street where the First Missioner, JG Curry, also lived with his family. Volunteers from the school and the community helped Curry run clubs for men and boys in the parish but, before long, Tabard Street could not contain the work nor the large congregation and in 1890, funds were raised to build St Hugh’s church and acquire nearby 32 Crosby Row.
In 1930, the charity decided to extend its mission to include women, which is when 39 Crosby Row was acquired for their use.
While a variety of projects achieved huge success in the community for decades, in 2008 the Trustees believed to better serve the borough going forwards, Charterhouse in Southwark should become a fundraiser rather than a direct provider of services. The charity ran The Arc Nursery until March 2009, when its operation was passed to an unrelated charity on a commercial lease.
Trustees of The Charterhouse in Southwark Endowment Fund (a related charity) joined with us in October 2010. The income from both charities contributes to the disengaged, vulnerable and disadvantaged children living locally.
LONG-LASTING RELATIONSHIPS
Charterhouse in Southwark has very strong relationships with The Charterhouse in Clerkenwell and Charterhouse School in Surrey, one of Britain’s longest established independent schools. To honour our link with the school, Charterhouse in Southwark offer a biennial scholarship to a child from Southwark to attend Charterhouse Sixth Form. The scholarship aims to create equal opportunities for less privileged children.
MEET THE TRUSTEES
GEORGE HANKEY
–
CHAIRMAN
George joined the board of trustees in 2018. He trained as a solicitor at Simmons & Simmons where he worked for 8 years before joining Troy Asset Management in 2014. George became Chairman in 2020.
ALEX PETERKEN
–
TRUSTEE
Dr Alex Peterken was appointed Headmaster of Charterhouse in January 2018 and shortly after became a Trustee of Charterhouse in Southwark. Alex started his teaching career at Charterhouse, where he taught for eleven years. He moved to Cheltenham College in 2008 where he was Deputy Headmaster in September 2010.
PETER AIERS
–
TRUSTEE
Peter Aiers is the 34th Master and Chief Executive of the Charterhouse. He was previously the Chief Executive of the Churches Conservation Trust, a national charity caring for historic church buildings across England and had worked here for 15 years. Peter’s background is in historic building conservation and has always had a particular interest in how historic buildings can best serve contemporary society. He has a track record of significant historic church building development projects and also invented Champing™. Peter is a trustee of the Hertiage Alliance, and Goodwill Solutions CIO and also a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
JONNY ABBOTT
–
TRUSTEE
Jonny joined the Board in 2025. He studied Business Management at Newcastle University and started his career in the Advisory practise at EY. Since 2016 he has worked at the Investment Bank Numis, which was acquired by Deutsche Bank in 2023. He now works in the Deutsche Bank Equity Capital Markets team, helping private companies IPO
JOHN GILLESPIE
–
TREASURER
John has been a long standing Trustee and Treasurer since 2006. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2002 whilst at KPMG and has since worked at FirstGroup plc and World Fuel Services. In November 2017 he joined Audiotonix Group Limited.
CHARLIE LYNCH
–
TRUSTEE
Charlie joined the board of trustees in 2025. With a degree in English Literature and History from Newcastle University and a masters in Consumer Psychology, he works in advertising. He has worked as a strategist at agencies including J Walter Thompson and - currently - Ogilvy. He lives with his partner and son in Southwark.
TRISTAN PARSONS
–
TRUSTEE
Tristan joined the board in 2018. He studied music at Manchester University, finishing in 2013 and worked as a music professional with Atlantic Records, a division of Warner Music. He is now the managing director and co-founder of the record label, Method 808. He is a keen violinist.
MADELEINE ALDRIDGE
–
DIRECTOR
Madeleine joined Charterhouse in Southwark in 2017 to run the day to day operations of the Trust. She has lived in Southwark for nearly 20 years and for many years worked in design. In 2015 she completed a degree in Social Work at London Southbank University.
OUR IMPACT
2023/24
£184,779
%20png___serialized2.png){kind=small}
£10,400
BURGESS SPORTS
£5,500
BRUNSWICK FAMILIES ASSOCIATION
£7,000
CASP
Holiday programmes and leadership programmes.
Contribution to after school programmes.
Camberwell afterschool project.
Breakfast club.
£9,000
DOCKLANDS SETTLEMENT
Funding football coaches for community group in Rotherhithe.
£6,000
DRAPER TOGETHER
Funding sports equiptment for south London youth club.
£6,750
FREE TO BE KIDS
Residential holiday programme for children in need.
£4,900
GLOBAL GENERATION
After school environmental programme for children.
£1,500
HALF MOON THEATRE
Drama workshops that teach children about online safety.
£4,000
£9,000
LONDON BUBBLE
MILLWALL COMMUNITY TRUST
Theatre working using the arts in school education.
Funding football for girls in Rotherhithe.
£3,989
£10,000
SKATEHAVEN
PEMBROKE HOUSE
Youth empowerment through skateboarding and mentoring.
Funding Pembroke House Music Academy.
£3,000
SOUTH LONDON GALLERY
Free afterschool art project for local children.
£8,000
WESTMINSTER HOUSE YOUTH CLUB
Youth Club in Nunhead offering after school tutoring.
£5,000
SPRING COMMUNITY HUB
Funding school holiday food programme.
In addition to honour our relationship with Charterhouse School, we offer a biennial scholarship to a child from Southwark to attend Sixth Form.
2021/22
2022/23
£103,671
£168,077
2018/19
£114,349
2017/18
£108,924
2020/21
£94,150
2016/17
£89,092
2019/20
£106,770
2015/16
£94,869
APPLYING FOR A GRANT
Charterhouse in Southwark has been reviewing the way we fund and will be changing its grant programme to reflect the need for more multiyear grant making. To prepare for the new programme please read carefully to ensure we are the right funder for your organisation.
Who we are and what we fund.
Charterhouse in Southwark provides grants to charities that support disadvantaged children and young people living in Southwark that aim to help bring about positive change.
Our focus is on informal education through youth clubs, holiday activity programmes, residential stays, and sports related groups where opportunities are created for young people to learn, grow, and develop, realising their full potential.
Please read carefully the following information.
In 2024, the trustees at Charterhouse in Southwark took a fresh look at our funding approach and recognised that local charities would benefit more from larger, multi-year grants. Since then, we’ve been delighted to support ten inspiring grassroots sports and youth work projects across Southwark. We’re proud to share the charities that have received funding:
Together, we look forward to seeing these projects grow, strengthen the community, and create lasting opportunities for young people in Southwark. Through this support, we hope to help reduce inequality, improve wellbeing, and celebrate the incredible work being done at a local level.
In line with our new funding strategy, Charterhouse in Southwark will not be accepting new applications in the coming year. This decision allows us to focus our resources in line with our revised priorities and to ensure the greatest possible impact of our funding. We will review our position during the coming year and provide an update on future application opportunities at that time. We are always available to chat in person so do get in touch if you would like any further information.
Application process in order.
1. Expression of interest email – Please email first to ensure the funder and charity are a good fit.
2. Telephone call and visit - This will be organised by the funder.
3. Application form - Download from the website and submit before the deadline.
We are always available to talk you through the application form should you need help. If we don’t have the information needed from you once submitted, we will ask you for it.
To submit an application form, please download/save and digitally complete the pdf below. Alternatively, this form can be printed, filled by hand and posted to our address.
Please do not leave your application to the last minute. Submitting well in advance of a trustee meeting means we will be able to consider your application. Applications received less than a month before a meeting will roll over to the next one.
If you have any queries regarding our application process, please email;
Free to Be Kids
Free to Be Kids is a charity supporting children & young people who are struggling with social or emotional difficulties, and helping to create lasting change for vulnerable children's emotional health. Charterhouse in Southwark are delighted to have been involved in with Free to Be Kids over the last few years supporting their Southwark based children.
Their volunteers work with disadvantaged children to rebuild self-esteem, boost resilience and to help explore challenging emotions and ways of managing. They do this via a range of therapeutic adventures & countryside based respite residentials, in all seasons, as well as through creative term time after school groups.
They work using the inherent power of the outdoors, animals, nature and the arts. They believe in childhood, muddy trainers, new challenges, self-expression, and real human relationships with an aim is to open up a sense of adventure, freedom and possibility for children who are struggling, whatever life's circumstances.
Above all they believe that every child deserves to feel wanted, special and valued and to experience joy and adventure within their childhood. Free To Be Kids is largely volunteer run and relies on the support of hundreds of like-minded individuals each year.
DONATE
Whether it's time, money or skills, donating to Charterhouse in Southwark is much appreciated by our beneficiaries. You can reach us via email to talk about changes to existing giving, setting up a new arrangement, Gift Aid or a legacy promise.
The easiest way to give is online at justgiving.com/charterhouse
You can download the GiftAid form by clicking here for single donations or here for multiple. Simply fill out the form(s) and return via email info@charterhouse-in-southwark.org or by post. You'll find our address under 'contact'.
MARATHON RUNNERS
Charterhouse in Southwark have a very committed group of fundraisers who regularlly run marathons and kindly donate the proceeds to us. If you would like to run for Charterhouse in Southwark as well, please contact us and we will be thrilled to sign you up.
Alternatively, if you have other fundraising ideas or events taking place near you, please get in touch.
NEWSLETTERS
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
CONTACT
Madeleine Aldridge
Director
Charterhouse in Southwark
PO Box 59636, London, SE22 2AD