A committed philanthropist throughout his life, when he died in 1925 Lord Leverhulme left a proportion of his holdings in Lever Brothers to provide grants for the benefits of pharmacists, grocers and commercial travellers and for their families – and so the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust came into being
Born in 1851, William Hesketh Lever made his fortune through the manufacture and marketing of soap and cleaning products. In the space of only a few years his company Lever Brothers grew to become a household name, and its products, which included Sunlight Soap and Lux, were sold around the world. The title ‘Lord Leverhulme’ was conferred upon Lever in 1917 (‘Hulme’ being the maiden name of his wife, Elizabeth, who had died four years previously).
The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust was established in 1925 with a bequest from the will of Lord Leverhulme. The instructions were flexible and have allowed the Trust to evolve over the years, to remain fit for the times.
Today, the Trust aims to support education and make opportunities possible by alleviating financial barriers, this includes bursaries for school, college and university students who are in financial need and who have a connection with grocers and pharmacists.
Photograph reproduced by courtest of Unilever Historical Archives.