Harry Bottom
Charitable Trust

Photo of founder Harry Bottom
Founder Harry Bottom

Welcome to the
Harry Bottom Charitable Trust (Charity Number 204675)

We are a grant-making body founded by Harry Bottom on the 7th October 1960

Today, the Trust continues to support local Sheffield & surrounding organisations who support:

  • Advancement of religion
  • The relief of the aged, sick or poor
  • Advancement of education
  • The relief of persons suffering from chronic diseases
  • Research into the causes or cures of chronic diseases
  • Any other charitable purpose decided upon by the Trustees in their absolute discretion
We would love to hear from any eligable charities who would like to apply for funding/donations to the trust.

Our History

Harry Bottom, the son of Henry & Ada Jane Bottom, was born in 1890. His father was a prosperous coal merchant & Harry was brought up in a moderately well-off household at Salmon Street, Sheffield.

Harry & his wife Ada (previously Johnson) lived at Psalter Lane, Sheffield. Harry & his family were devout Baptists and attended the Cemetery Road Baptist Church. They had one child, Sylvia Dorothy who tragically later developed leukaemia & died in August of 1963, aged 42.

Around 1905, alongside the coal dealership, Harry’s father acquired the house furnishings business of Sheffield’s Furnishings Company which Harry joined and helped develop until it had grown into a sizeable chain of shops at various locations in Sheffield and a shop in Doncaster.

In September 1937, after more than 40 years of trading, the future business was sold & both Henry & Harry retired to Eastbourne to join family.

Shortly after the outbreak of the second world war, Harry Bottom came out of retirement and returned to Sheffield to aid the war effort.

In 1942, Harry purchased Roper & Wreaks Limited which later became the head office for a group of companies he built up.

By 1954 Harry had moved from Psalter Lane to Hartley Road, Ecclesall Sheffield where he was to remain for most of the rest of his life.

In February 1956, Harrys father Henry died aged 89 years.

During the next few years, Harry made personal charitable donations to help Baptist Churches & other causes. Harry founded the Harry Bottom Charitable Trust on the 7th October 1960.

Harry died on the 2nd August 1973, aged 83, and was buried in the Bottom family grave in Ecclesall Parish Church graveyard. As Harry had amply provided for his wife through insurance policies, Harry bequeathed all his residual estate to the Harry Bottom Charitable Trust in his will.

The declared aims of the Trust were to support the advancement of religion, the relief of the aged, sick and poor, the advancement of education, the relief of persons suffering from chronic diseases, research into the causes or cures of chronic diseases and any other charitable purpose decided upon by the Trustees in their absolute discretion

Photo of founder Harry Bottom and building in Sheffield
Harry Bottom standing next to the lamp-post outside their first establishment in London Road

Making an application

Today, the trustees meet on a quarterly basis to uphold the values of the founder by supporting local organisations which benefit the people of Sheffield & surrounding areas. Periodically the trust can make additional significant contributions to larger plans for the benefit of the people of Sheffield.

  • Annual contribution to the Yorkshire Baptist Association – Set-up in 1960 as it was felt that they would make better decisions about the need of different Baptist churches within Sheffield
  • Annual contributions to Sheffield University to support student scholarships

The Trust welcomes applications from organisations that support the objectives of the Trust; the advancement of religion, the relief of the aged, sick, and poor, the advancement of education, the relief of persons suffering from chronic diseases, research into the causes or cures of chronic diseases and any other similar charitable purposes.

The trust supports costs such as equipment, running & project costs excluding structural works & and any kind of salaries.

Supporting financial information which show the organisations current financial position such as year-end accounts, statement of profit & loss reports/financial position reports are mandatory. The Trustees will assess the organisations cash position and reserves. Organisations with high cash reserves are usually declined.

Applications from national organisations will be declined unless they can clearly demonstrate that the support will take place in Sheffield and directly benefit Sheffield’s people. Applications from, or on behalf of, individuals are normally declined.

Although not mandatory, donations are usually only made to registered charities, hospitals & churches. Organisations that do not have this status will be asked to provide additional information to ensure compliance with the Common Reporting Standard.

As part of our process, we may make additional enquiries of applicants to find out more about you and your organisation.

All donations are made at the discretion of the Trustees.

How to apply

To apply for a grant, please email details to harrybottomtrust@lishmansllp.com or via post

Lishmans LLP,
16-18 Station Road,
Chapeltown,
Sheffield,
S35 2XH.

Details must include:

  • Charity/Company registration numbers
  • Correspondence address & contact details
  • Details about your organisation, including ongoing or future projects
  • A specific amount required from the Trust (Include breakdown of costs/budgets)
  • Supporting financial documents which show the organisations current financial position (Year-end accounts, statement of profit & loss reports/financial position reports)
Please refer to the section ‘making an application’ before submitting your application. Not providing supporting financial information may lead to delays in your application.