Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield

The 800th Trust and Truro Fund

The 800th Trust and the Truro Fund help individuals between 17 and 25. The latter also helps organisations. Aims, eligibility and schemes are as follows:

Each year, it is the traditional privilege of the Lord Mayor to nominate the Lord Mayor's Charity Appeal. Over many years, different charities have benefited from these appeals and many millions of pounds have been raised.

In 1989, to celebrate 800 years of the Mayoralty of London, the Lord Mayor established the Lord Mayor's 800th Anniversary Awards as his Charity Appeal.

The Aims of the Awards

The Awards are designed to provide opportunity for young people to broaden their experience and to develop their confidence and ability for the future.

Who is eligible for an Award

Awards are made to young people aged from 17 to 25 and beneficiaries are drawn from a wide field, including students at schools, colleges and training centres; members of youth clubs; people who are disabled and those charitable organisations involved with young people. Priority is given to those who, through residence, school, or business have a close association with the City of London.

The Award Scheme

Grants are made for a wide variety of projects including:

• Travel overseas... particularly for educational purposes, or to participate in community or environmental schemes.
• Special Training... to learn new skills, or gain experience and qualifications to improve a young person's ability to find employment.
• Adventure Training... to enable young people to take up places on recognised schemes.

The Trustees will consider giving support to selected projects involving young people which meet the overall objective of developing confidence and ability. Through the award scheme, it is also the intention to stimulate young people's interest in the history, current role and the future of the Mayoralty and Corporation of London.

In recent years, the Trust has made grants that have enabled young people to.

• Take part in Raleigh International expeditions;
• act as student teachers in many parts of the world;
• help in charitable work in Bangladesh;
• do sail training courses;
• join youth exchanges in Africa;
• go on expeditions with the British Schools Exploring Society;
• do work experience in several European countries;
• assist in Romanian orphanages;
• undertake medical electives in hospitals overseas;
• carry out environmental research in South America;
• help with and take part in courses for the disabled at Atlantic College;
• attend Computer and Business start-up courses.

. . . Preparing for the future

The Lord Mayor's 800th Anniversary Awards was established with the future of many young people in mind. Approximately 80awards are made each year, with sums ranging between £100 and £1,000, depending on the type of project involved.

The Trustees allocate awards twice a year: in March, for projects starting in the period April to December; in November, for those starting in the period December to April the following year. Grants are made through 'Monitors' who are usually the representatives of the various organisations to which beneficiaries belong. Monitors help by publicising the scheme within their organisations and getting the relevant projects into motion. Monitors are also asked to ensure that each beneficiary writes a report about their project and submits this to the Trustees.

An Annual Reception is held for those who have recently completed their projects, and for their Monitors. At the reception, a prize is presented to the person who has written the best report.

The award scheme is organised as a charitable trust, governed by a number of Trustees drawn from business and the professions, the Livery, Common Council and the Court of Aldermen, with the Lord Mayor as an ex-officio member.

Central to the administration is the Adviser who acts as a consultant to the Trustees and helps to select the candidates. The Adviser ensures that the charity benefits as broad a spectrum of individuals as possible.

The Truro Fund

Caters for young people below the age of 21, who live, work or are at school/college in the Greater London area. Originally to provide them with the tools of their trade on completion of their apprenticeships, we now give grants of up to £1500 to youngsters for educational purposes, for buying books, computer software etc or, for "adventure training" projects, or any suitable project that might help them in their future careers. It also makes grants to organisations such as Youth Clubs, scout groups and the like.

To find out more about both funds, or to apply

Those interested should contact:

The Advisor
The Lord Mayor's 800th Anniversary Awards Trust
One St Clements Court
London
EC4N 7HB

Tel: 0207 623 5454
Fax: 0207 623 9196
e-mail lm800aat @ hotmail.com