One of the oldest charities in
the country is Sherburn House in County Durham.
It was founded in 1181 by a wise and forward thinking Bishop Pudsey of
Durham; he also gave them lands that still generate income for this great
charity today. It consists of a care home, almshouses and other facilities, as
well as a grants programme for the county. It even has its own Act of
Parliament under Elizabeth I, passed in 1585 (which came about as a result of
some past fraud, nothing new there then!)
I visited recently and had a
great day meeting with the CEO Pauline Bishop and key members of staff, as well
as looking around the site and meeting with the trustees. It was fascinating to
see the old chapel, still functioning as an integral part of the charity, and
they even have their own chaplain (a woman, so they may be ancient but they are
up to date theologically). There is an old plaque in the chapel marking the
tomb of a former chaplain who, the plaque proclaims, preached to King Edward VI.
They even have their own cemetery and a lovely woodland surrounds the site. I
was shown the Elizabethan chalice and flagons and patten from the 18th
century, which are part of the treasures of the charity.
The trustees are considering how
to update their governance arrangements and they very well understood the need
for good governance in the light of all the recent publicity. They have their
own history of problems and misdemeanours in the past and are clear they wish
to be a model of good practice so, for example they are looking at the number
of trustees they have, currently 16, terms of office, and the knotty issue of
trustees who are nominated by other organisations and therefore may not always
feel their responsibility lies with the charity rather than the nominating
body. I've come across this issue before
and whilst the legal position is clear, i.e. you must put the charity interest
above that of your nominating body, this is often not the reality.
We often forget that our country
has a magnificent and proud history of charity, dating back to at least the 7th
century. Many of our old charities have their origins in the Church but have
reformed and moved with the times, but are still serving their beneficiaries in
the way that Bishop Pudsey envisaged some 900 years ago.
We should celebrate our great
history. At some stage in my life I intend to write a history of charity. There
is nothing around since the 60s accounts written by Harvard professors. We need
a proper history. I'm collecting the material gradually and have even spent a
month in archives in the Bodleian in Oxford and at Lambeth Palace. It's a
project for my retirement, though that is years off I'm afraid.
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