Major Project Awards
The triennial Major Project Award (MPA) offers one cause/charity the opportunity to access funding of up to £225,000 spread over three years to finance a specified project supporting our Charity’s objects, with measurable outcomes.
Here is the story of our MPA awards to date:
Leadership Through Sport & Business (2026-2029)
Master, Vince O’Brien, announced Leadership Through Sport and Business (LTSB) as the Winner of the 2026-29 Major Project Award at the Mansion House Banquet in June 2026.
Martin Talbot, CEO of LTSB, and John Feltham, Liveryman of the Chartered Accountants’ Livery Company who sponsored the application, both attended the dinner.
John has had a connection with the charity for 8 years and has attended many of their events including a ‘speed interview’ evening; a seminar to help students write their CV; a motivational talk by Darren Allaway (a Managing Director at UBS) and a LTSB Graduation ceremony for a year of cohorts. John has acted as a mentor for students in the programme and has seen first hand how the training and support of LTSB helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to thrive.
LTSB helps young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to thrive. Martin Talbot, CEO LTSB requested funding to run their incredibly popular and successful Business and Finance employment bootcamps in London, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow (new in 2025).
With the help of this funding LTSB can now deliver the programme across all 4 locations
enabling them to support 60 young people in the London Business and Finance bootcamps.
Each annual cohort of young people will engage with a 14-month programme, including 8 weeks of pre-employment training and a minimum of 12 months of pastoral support.
We are delighted to be working with LTSB and we look forward to sharing more success stories.
Beyond Food Foundation (2023-2026)
The foundation offers training centred around food to help those who have experience trauma or mental health to get make a positive change in their lives.
For the three years 2023-26, the beneficiary of the major project award was Beyond Food Foundation, which has supported more than 7,000 people since it was established in 2009.
We funded two FreshLife programmes per year for three years offering 150 individuals the opportunity to get back into work. The programme uses food as a way to inspire vulnerable people and remove barriers that inhibit them from securing financial independence.
The FreshLife programme includes food-based life-skills, employability classes, an introduction to hospitality and barista training as well as an immersive experience in hospitality.
Food plays a crucial role in helping people to live healthier lives, stand on their own two feet and understand healthy life choice – both physically and mentally. And the success rates are impressive – 90% of the people who complete the programme secure a City & Guilds Certificate. And 86% progress into paid employment within 12 months.”
The foundation recently moved their operations to The Foundry, in a strategic partnership with the West Ham Foundation – the charitable arm of West Ham United. West Ham Foundation exists to create opportunities, build confidence, and support people across east London and beyond. We will report further on the success of Beyond Food in our next newsletter and hopefully arrange a dinner at their new city premises in the autumn.
Create (2020-2023)
In April 2019, our then Senior Warden, Dr Hilary Lindsay, chaired the Major Project Award Panel who were unanimous in recommending that the 2020-22 MPA winner should be Create, sponsored by Liverymen Libby Bassett and Tony Cates, for their ‘change:matters’ financial education programme for young carers.
“Now I know how to help my Mum manage her money and last the whole month through budgeting.”
The Open University (2017-2020)
In 2016 the Trustees, under the chairmanship of the then Junior Warden, John Cardnell, awarded the second of our Major Project Awards to the Open University, proposed by Liveryman Miles Hedges, for their ‘Managing My Money: Young Adults’ project (MMMYA). It was successfully launched on 3rd November 2017 and is still being promoted nationally by the OU.
This financial management course focuses on young people’s financial education needs. The course is primarily targeted at 16 to 18 year olds who are reaching the threshold of financial independence – although the content is also of substantial use to those who have left school and gone on to university or into employment.
It has been wholly sponsored by our Charity and delivered by the Open University Business School’s True Potential PUFin centre, led by Martin Upton, its Director.
Through our support the OU has been able to produce a quality financial learning resource used by thousands and which is now being embedded into the school curriculum. The OU is committed to supporting MMMYA beyond the term of funding by maintaining the course’s integrity online and updating it to respond to legislative changes and ensure accuracy of content.
MyBnk (2014-2017)
It was discovered that MyBnk, proposed by Liveryman David Sayer, fitted all the criteria required to be worthy of support for our inaugural Major Project Award.
Their ‘Money Twist’ programme selected for support, helped Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 pupils learn about money management, budgeting and banking.
