The Harpur Trust

As a charity which works to help and support people in and around Bedford, The Harpur Trust is proud to sponsor HEART Academies Trust.

The Harpur Trust has existed in the town since 1566 when Sir William Harpur, and his wife Dame Alice, created an endowment to sustain a school in Bedford. The endowment also made provision for the marriage of poor maids of the town, for deprived children to be nourished and informed and for any residue to be distributed to the poor of the town.

Today, the work of The Harpur Trust is still very much based on this legacy. Their aims are clear and simple; they are here to inspire and support people in the Borough of Bedford to improve their lives by:

• providing and promoting education
• offering help and relief to anyone who is sick, in need, hardship or distress
• providing recreational facilities with a social welfare purpose

Over 1,100 people in Bedford work for The Harpur Trust, either directly or in one of their schools,  making it the town's third largest local employer.

The Harpur Trust Grants

Supporting the community by giving grants to local projects is core to what they do. Each year they award around £1 million to projects based in and around Bedford. This money helps local groups and individuals to make a difference to their own lives or to those of others. 

The Harpur Trust Schools

The Harpur Trust own, manage and support the four, independent Harpur Trust Schools:

• Bedford Girls’ School – a day school for girls aged 7-18
• Bedford Modern School – a day school for boys and girls aged 7-18
• Bedford School – a boarding and day school for boys aged 7-18
• Pilgrims Preparatory School – a nursery and prep school for boys and girls aged 3 months to 7 years

Accommodation for older people

The Harpur Trust has been providing Almshouses in Bedford for over 200 years. Their first ones, in Dame Alice Street, Bedford, were completed in 1802. Today the Trust provides a range of accommodation options including apartments at Oak Way House in Kimbolton Road, at Dame Alice Court in the town centre and at Sir William Harpur House in Brickhill.  It has also invested over £2 million into the ExtraCare Charitable Trust development at Wixams due to open in 2019.  Residents enjoy an independent lifestyle with the benefit of knowing help is close to hand whenever they need it.

For more information visit www.harpurtrust.org.uk or call 01234 369500.