Who We Are and What We Do
Retail Trust is the principal charity of the retail sector that provides hardship grants of £1 million per annum to people who are working in or have worked in the retail industry or associated businesses.
We provide help and support to people whatever challenges they face, including home, family, health, finance or work issues.
Find out how you can get involved by attending one of our fantastic events or supporting our work.
You can find out more about the vital services we offer:
- Free and confidential Helpline 0808 801 0808
- Free counselling
- Free legal advice
- ReWork programme
- Career development
- Employee assistance programme
- Retirement housing
Retail Trust offers all of these services completely free of charge to those working in retail and is continually expanding its services to help more people in need.
History
In 1832, the appropriately named Thomas Helps, an eminent trader with business in the City of London, became the first chairman of a society designed to aid employees who worked in the wholesale drapery sector - the Linen and Woollen Drapers, Silk Mercers, Lacemen, Haberdashers and Hosiers’ Institution.
The aim of this society was to build a “confederacy of good feeling and right principle” to support members of their trade when they faced hard times.
Like the retail industry it serves, the charity (now called Retail Trust) has had to change and adapt over the years to keep pace with a fast-changing industry. Change has been necessary to ensure that the charity is as relevant to people working in retail today as it was almost 180 years ago.
We are honoured to have Her Majesty The Queen as our Patron and in 2008 we celebrated both 175 years of Retail Trust and 60 years of The Queen’s patronage with an event at St James’s Palace. You can read more about that event in our Archived News section.
Find out more about our Trustees and Chief Executive.
