Report reveals a millionaire’s gift to help young people

Sheffield-based Mary Cornish, who chairs The Brelms Trust, is funding schemes in Yorkshire which help transform the lives of children from troubled backgrounds.

She is one of the generous business people highlighted in the latest Coutts Million Pound Donor Report.

The report identifies 174 separate donations of £1m or more made by individuals, trusts and corporations in the UK during 2009/10, which have a total value of £1.3bn.

The report, which is published in association with the Centre for Philanthropy, Humanitarianism and Social Justice at the University of Kent, found that the level of giving was down 15 per cent from the previous year.

Wealthy individuals remain the most significant source of large gifts to good causes, contributing £782m, or 60 per cent of the total value of £1.3bn. Maya Prabhu, the head of UK philanthropy at Coutts said: “This study demonstrates the significant contribution that individuals are making to charitable causes.”

Ms Cornish told Coutts about a scheme in a Yorkshire town, which she declined to name: “One stand-out experience came when we visited an organisation which, like many, undersells itself.

“It’s in an area of disadvantage and the project was about trying to get kids safe, off the streets and hopefully back into education.

“There’s a problem in that town with girls from about the age of 12 onwards being recruited into prostitution.

“A lot of young girls and young boys went to that base during the day for safety and one of the things they like doing is recording rap songs – the kids would come in and express themselves through music.

“They invited us to have a cup of tea in the common room and I made a comment about a collage on the wall that was made of pictures of kids who’d been involved in the project.

“Someone said to have a look at another collage, which they said was made of kids who are no longer with us – at first I thought they’d moved on but no, they had died.”

The full report is available at www.coutts.com/philanthropy.