Our History

 The Claremont Trust was established on the 31st of July 1948 in the aftermath of World War II by three brothers, Alistair Paton Forrester-Paton, The Reverend Colin Forrester-Paton B.D. and Douglas Shaw Forrester-Paton B.A., with an awareness of the suffering and moral turmoil of that time and the challenge facing the Church.

The Deed which established the Trust lays down that the Trust Fund shall be applied to such purposes in any part of the world as are embraced by the word “charitable” according to Scots Law and which in the Trustees judgement “are best fitted for assisting towards the proclamation of the Christian Gospel and the fulfilment of its demands in the life of society”.

Rather than putting its comparatively slender resources into relief and remedial work, however, the Trust has seen its role as being to give support to more radical and constructive enterprises, both within and outside the Church. In its choice of such enterprises the Trustees have sought those which seemed to them to give practical expression to the Christian Gospel in the life of society, and those which aimed to encourage and support Christian laypeople trying to live out their faith in the moral and practical complexities of the secular world. Within the Church they try to give support to movements or initiatives which are a renewing influence on the Church’s life as a living community existing for the sake of the world around it in all they need.

In its grant giving the Trust has tried to direct support particularly to new and promising initiatives which would find it difficult to attract funds from other sources, but need help to get on their feet and in due course to generate sufficient local financial support for their growth and development.

The Trust is registered as a Charity on Scotland with the Office of the Charity Regulator, charity registration number SC002721.

Further details can be found on the OSCR website www.oscr.org.uk and search for Claremont Trust.

 What we do

The Claremont Trust seeks to support groups which give practical expression to their faith in the life of society in Scotland and overseas, for example small innovative faith-based enterprises seeking to tackle social need and promote inclusion at local level. The Trust is ecumenical and was founded on strong convictions of Christian social responsibility. It welcomes applications from any faith group. The Trust also supports initiatives of groups which are working towards a fairer and more just world. Its resources are comparatively slender, and it distributes around £10,000 each year in grants. A typical grant will be £500 – £600 and not more than £1,000. Constructive and radical enterprises which work towards a fairer and juster world are its priority.

 Please note at the current time we are unable to accept any applications from bodies based outside of Great Britain.

The Trust’s income, derived from a small return on investments, only justifies one meeting a year at present although applications can be received out with the grant making cycle. Under these circumstances the Secretary will screen applications against Trust criteria and if the application is found to be suitable will then consult other trustees on their willingness to fund the application, always assuming funds are available.