Marsh Charitable Trust, also known as Marsh Christian Trust, is a national charity in the United Kingdom, based in London. It is a registered charity under English law, and was established in 1981 by Brian Marsh, the current Chairman.[1] Marsh was appointed an OBE for services to business and charity in the 2005 New Year Honours.[2]
The trust specialises in providing small annual grants to charities across a wide range of charitable activities to pay for running costs. It also runs the Marsh Awards, a group of over 90 awards given annually by the Trust in partnership with around 40 different organisations, intended to reward the work of volunteers and charity workers. The number of awards continues to grow, and awards are given in the areas of conservation, science, the arts, heritage, literature, social welfare and volunteering.
The Marsh Christian Trust changed its public facing name to the Marsh Charitable Trust on 1st September 2021.[3]
The Marsh Aards are the creation of Brian Marsh, who wanted to support areas such as conservation and volunteering but wished to identify a way of ensuring a modest sum of money made an impact. The awards programme works alongside a number of partner organisations. These partners recommend a shortlist of worthy award winners, but the final decision lies with a judging panel, ensuring independence.
This category of awards recognises individuals and groups who through their volunteering, fundraising and general ongoing support have improved the quality of many people's lives across the UK. The winners of these awards have worked with children, campaigned for human rights and supported carers, refugees, victims of human trafficking and many others.
Partner organisations in this category are:
one of the UK's leading children's charities, working to transform the lives of vulnerable children.
works to provide a collective voice for the many charities and agencies operating to combat human trafficking.
one of the UK's leading charities working to improve the lives of people with experience of mental health problems.
one of the leading charities in the UK working directly with refugees and supporting them to rebuild their lives.
a housing association aiming to end homelessness and help people rebuild their lives.
supports adults, children, young adults and older people make positive behavioural changes to change their lives for the better, particularly through recovery from addiction.
an international forum for strategic discussion, initiating discussions on issues of international security, prosperity and justice.
This group of awards recognises individuals, groups and young people for their volunteering, academic study and lifetime contributions to the conservation of the planet. Their activities tend to range from local conservation, collecting data and recording wildlife to ways of managing climate change, community based international conservation projects and the protection of genetic biodiversity.
Partner organisations in this category are:
promotes the science of ecology through research, publications and conferences and uses the findings of research to educate the public and to influence policy.
a leading voice in working to stop the decline of butterflies and moths in the UK to maintain a world full of butterflies for future generations to enjoy.
cares for waterways in England and Wales and promotes their importance for local communities, our heritage and the environment.
the leading conservation organisation covering the whole of Kent and Medway, dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild habitats for everyone to enjoy.
help to reduce the decline of nature by protecting the UK's natural and wild places, through work in both marine and terrestrial environments.
This group of awards recognises individuals and groups for their efforts in the protection, promotion and appreciation of art and culture throughout society. The award winners are volunteers and professionals conducting a range of activities, from working in education in museums and galleries and helping to keep them open to the public, to artists creating new pieces of art and conservationists protecting existing ones.
Partner organisations in this category are:
a leading arts education charity with a global network of 385 local Societies which bring people together through shared curiosity for the arts.
a leader in the museum world, dedicated to human history, art and culture.
the lead advocacy and training network for gallery education, bringing communities together through opportunities to learn and benefit from art.
tells the story of London with the help of hundreds of volunteers who contribute their time, skills and interests in various ways.
This group of awards recognises individuals and groups for their efforts in building and protecting local communities and local national heritage. The winners of these awards are volunteers, historians, historical scientists, and crafts people who work to protect the UK's national heritage and build and uphold local communities and social networks.
The partner organisations in this category are:
the UK's leading organisation fighting against the loss of the nation's traditional crafts.
dedicated to promoting and supporting church buildings of historic, architectural and community value.
the official voice for historic vessels in the UK, helping to manage the upkeep and keep a record of all the historic vessels in the UK.
a world-class visitor attraction and a leading science research centre.
is home to the Royal Observatory, the iconic historic sailing ship Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum and the Queen's House art gallery.