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Who Are We?
The Beit Trust is an independent charity. We support people and communities in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi (ZZM).
We have been active for over a hundred years, ever since the Trust was established by the financier and philanthropist, Alfred Beit, in 1906. Since the 1950s, we have funded regional projects in health, education, transport, social welfare and conservation.
We have been active for over a hundred years, ever since the Trust was established by the financier and philanthropist, Alfred Beit, in 1906. Since the 1950s, we have funded regional projects in health, education, transport, social welfare and conservation.
His wish that the Trust should operate “for the benefit of the people” remains our guiding principle.
The Trust now provides more than £2.5 million a year in grants to the region. In the last five years alone, we have funded hundreds of projects, including hospitals, clinics, care homes, schools and libraries. We have supported over a hundred Beit Scholars at universities in the UK and South Africa, as well as regional training for surgeons from ZZM.
We have provided emergency relief following natural disasters in the region, including refurbishment of bridges swept away by Cyclone Idai in 2019, thereby restoring access to deprived communities in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands; and funding PPE equipment for medical workers during the COVID 19 pandemic.
We remain committed to improving people’s lives in the region. In doing so, we work with and rely on trusted community partners and organisations, and the expertise and long-term experience of our teams in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and the UK.
The Trust remains apolitical and operates without consideration of sex, race and religion.
Points to Note
The Beit Trust makes grants only to Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi: the “Beneficial Countries”.
Detailed applications for all grants to these three countries should be submitted to:
The Beit Trust Representative, 5 Ludlow Rd, Newlands, Harare, ZIMBABWE
Email: africa@beittrust.org.uk
HIV
While recognising the pressing need, the Trustees are aware of the extensive help given to AIDS alleviation and orphanages by other major donors, and therefore set limits to the Trust’s assistance with HIV.
Please see our Grants, Scholarships and Bursaries pages for further details.
The Trust's Organisation
The Trust has its Headquarters at Beit House in Woking, Surrey. Their Representative in Africa and his two staff work from a rented office in Harare.
Trustees meet every six months to agree broad strategy on investments, reserves and risk management, and to consider applications for grants. They are supported by a Committee of regional Correspondents, three or four per beneficial country. These meet six weeks before Trustees’ meetings to give their expert advice on each grant application.
One million pounds was made available in 2021 for new projects, mostly infrastructural, selected in-country by the Correspondents. In addition, Trustees every year customarily allocate over £1 million to long-term recurrent grants, for academic and medical scholarships and bursaries, student hardship relief, library books, school computers and contingency support.
The Trust’s Finance Committee meets four weeks prior to full Trustees’ meetings. Cazenove Capital, the portfolio investment managers, attend and address finance and investment policy matters. In November, the Finance Committee submits to the Trustees, for their approval, a proposed budget of income and expenditure for the forthcoming year.
Ethical and Socially Responsible Investment Policy
Trustees abide by the restrictions against holding ordinary shares in mining stocks stipulated in Alfred Beit’s Will. They delegate to their investment managers, Cazenove Capital, the responsibility for taking environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues into account when assessing the selection, retention and realisation of investments. They expect the fund manager to engage with companies on ESG issues; observe best practice; exercise voting rights accordingly; and monitor the implementation of this policy.
