A brief history of the G&H Roberts Community Trust

The Trust was started in 1938 by Gordon and Hannah Roberts, hence the G & H in the trust title. They jointly started G & H Roberts Ltd, Woollen Yard Spinners in Yorkshire shortly after they were married in 1935.The company was established with a profit sharing basis and during the war refused any work connected to the war effort due to their strong pacifist ideals. When profits were made a portion of these was distributed to all the employees, share holders received a dividend. A proportion of the capital was held in preference shares and the dividend on these shares was paid into the Community Trust. The Trust initially was used to support individuals and local organisations in the community and then further afield.The firm moved its operations to Scotland in 1949 and continued to support local initiatives and organizations committed to peace and education. On the sale of the mill, the preferences shared provided the capital investment for the Trust to receive an income which provides the basis of the funds available for distribution to the present time.

The trustees are now second and third generation family members scattered across the world on three continents with an intention to meet to consider appeals twice a year in Spring and Autumn. See other pages for the procedure to apply for funding support.