Board of The Tudor Trust charity all face being sacked for being ‘white and privileged’ amid an anti-racism diversity drive
- Charity stopping all grants for 20 months while it ‘re-thinks’ its future
- Staff will learn about ‘racial justice’ and ‘white supremacy culture’
- Family trustees Matthew Dunwell and brother Benjamin seem likely to go
One of Britain’s wealthiest charities is changing its entire Board of Trustees as part of an anti-racism diversity drive after branding itself ‘white and privileged’.
The Tudor Trust is undergoing a woke makeover that has meant stopping all grants for 20 months while it ‘re-thinks’ its future and staff learn about ‘racial justice’ and ‘white supremacy culture’.
The organisation, which has assets of around £288million and gives about £20 million a year to good causes, was founded in 1955 by a bequest from Sir Godfrey Mitchell, founder of building giant George Wimpey, and several of his descendants are trustees.
But they face the sack, potentially ending the family’s key role in the trust, in the pursuit of ‘social justice’. Family trustees Matthew Dunwell and brother Benjamin seem likely to go.
The trust is recruiting ‘three or four’ new trustees, including a new chairman, in the first round of shake-ups that will see a ‘refresh’ of the board in ‘its entirety over a 12-month period’. The role of Chair Designate is advertised as part-time (five days per month) with a salary of £18,000 a year.
The Tudor Trust is undergoing a woke makeover that has meant stopping all grants for 20 months while it ‘re-thinks’ its future
Director Christopher Graves retired in February, then in March the trust announced it was not reopening grant applications as it had not done enough to become an ‘anti-racist organisation’
The changes are being overseen by interim director Raji Hunjan
The advert also states they should bring a ‘strong personal commitment to justice, diversity, equity and inclusion’, with at least one having ‘expertise in anti-racism, equity and inclusion’. The Chair Designate should have a ‘deep understanding of social and racial justice, and experience of applying this to systemic change’. Matt Dunwell, the grandson of the founder, is the current chairman.
The changes are being overseen by interim director Raji Hunjan. The move to ‘reimagine’ the trust’s operation began three years ago and was triggered by the Black Lives Matter protests.
A statement by the Tudor Trust said: ‘We recognise that we live in a society that is shaped by white privilege and racism. We also acknowledge that being a family Trust has given rise to a trustee board that is almost entirely white and privileged. While the profile of the staff of the trust is more diverse, we recognise that, throughout the organisation, most of us do not have experience of what it means to be discriminated against because of our colour.’
New applications for grants were ‘temporarily closed’ in April last year and have yet to restart.
Director Christopher Graves retired in February, then in March the trust announced it was not reopening grant applications as it had not done enough to become an ‘anti-racist organisation’.
A trust spokesman said it ‘has embarked on a well-publicised step change in its mission’. It previously gave around 250 grants a year, averaging £80,000 each.
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