Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation — RORY AND ELIZABETH BROOKS FOUNDATION

Who we support

University of Manchester

The Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation has made significant and long-term contributions to philanthropy in higher education. Rory and Elizabeth have supported the University of Manchester since 2005, both in terms of direct giving and in particular providing funding to set up the Brooks World Poverty Institution (now the Global Development Institute) and more recently to enable GDI to take its work to a new level.

Elizabeth is the Chair of the Director’s Circle of the Whitworth Art Gallery. Rory is a board member and former Chair of the University’s Global Leadership Board and is a member of the International Advisory Board of the GDI. The Foundation has also funded two large international conferences in partnership with the University of Manchester: the Johannesburg Global Poverty Summit and the Capturing the Gains Summit, which were co-funded by the UK Department of International Development (DFID).

Brooks Doctoral College and the Global Development Institute

For almost 20 years the Foundation has supported research into poverty and global development. Originally, through the Brooks World Poverty Institute and now its successor entity the Global Development Institute (GDI).

In 2024 the Foundation made its largest-ever grant over five years to the GDI to support postgraduate research of international development and the creation of equitable partnerships between the GDI and universities across the developing world. The grant also includes funding for a research outcome incubator, an impact assessment unit and continuing support for the Brooks Doctoral College

Tate - Brooks International Fellowship

The Brooks International Fellowship programme at Tate, now in its tenth year, enables two fully-funded curators, researchers, art historians or other museum professionals to work with Tate colleagues for six months on designated projects at Tate while participating in a residency at Delfina Foundation.

Elizabeth serves as co-Chair of Tate’s Photography Acquisition Committee. Rory and Elizabeth are members of the International Council.

IntoUniversity

IntoUniversity is a leading national charity supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed in school and attain either a university place or another aspiration – be that an apprenticeship or a vocational qualification. IntoUniversity operates a nationwide network of community-based learning centres supporting students aged from 9 to 18.

Academic attainment is a crucial factor in determining the options available to young people when they leave school. Young people have suffered severe learning loss as a result of school closures, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds have been among those hardest hit.

Core to its model is the belief that underachievement is best addressed in the context of long-term pastoral engagement. Rory has served as a trustee of IntoUniversity since 2019 and is currently also Chair of the Campaign Committee.

Rugby Portobello Trust

The Rugby Portobello Trust is a children’s, youth and family support charity that has been supporting Rory and Elizabeth’s local community for over 135 years. In 2009 RPT merged with national charity People Potential Possibilities (P3) and Elizabeth served as a Trustee on the board of P3. RPT remains a local charity for local people and the Foundation has supported a number of projects, most currently the RPT Football Academy.

Quintessentially Foundation

Quintessentially Foundation is a grant-making and awareness raising charity that has provided over £14m to 50 aspiring charities, including The Felix Project, Greenhouse Sports and The Rugby Portobello Trust. Funds have typically been raised by exciting and innovative events including the annual Bike Ride and The Fayre of St James. Rory was Chair (2021-2024) and supports the founder Ben Elliot, and CEO, Joel Davis.

Following the pandemic the Foundation has refocused its efforts to support small but ambitious and scalable charities in London that help disadvantaged youth. It has launched a Patrons program and actively engages its donors in the works of its partner charities.

The CSJ Foundation

Rory is a previous Chairman of the Board of the Centre for Social Justice and an inaugural Trustee of the newly formed CSJ Foundation.

The CSJ’s mission is to put social justice at the heart of British politics. Much of its knowledge is generated by the CSJ Alliance, a nationwide network of over 300 grassroots charities that are helping people who are experiencing poverty. The Alliance charities gives the CSJ a unique understanding into what is actually happening in the real world.

The CSJ Foundation was created in 2021 to generate and direct philanthropic giving to charities in the Alliance thereby strengthening the bonds between the CSJ and Alliance members and helping them to sustain and expand their operations.

The Platinum Jubilee Pageant

The Trustees of the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Foundation were proud to support The Platinum Jubilee Pageant in 2022, in celebration of Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign.

Whitley Fund for Nature

The Whitley Fund for Nature is a UK based fundraising and grant-giving nature conservation charity that provides funding, training and recognition to wildlife conservationists working across countries in the Global South, that are rich in biodiversity but lacking in the financial resources to safeguard it. Through Whitley Awards presented annually by Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, local environmental heroes acting on the latest science receive the backing they need to create and scale up lasting benefits for wildlife, climate, landscapes, and people. The Awards raise the awareness of their vital work around the globe.

Arts and Community

We support a small group of organisations that leverage the transformative power of the creative arts to improve individuals’ well-being, learning and life opportunities.

Articulation

Articulation is a national public speaking initiative, championing the appreciation and discussion of art. It enables a wide range of students aged between 14 and 23 to develop critical thinking, analysis, presentation and public speaking skills through a series of workshops to deliver the annual Articulation Prize. Working with 50 museums, galleries, universities and arts associations, over 4,000 young people from 200 schools currently take part in Articualtion events every year.

Articulation was originally established in 2006 by the Roche Court Educational Trust, an arts education charity based at the Roche Court Sculpture Park and New Art Centre in Wiltshire. In 2022 the National Gallery became the new home of Articulation where it is a key part of the National Gallery’s work to reach out to communities around the UK, playing a bigger role in the wellbeing and education of the nation.

AllChild

AllChild supports communities in underserved neighbourhoods across the UK to help children and young people build the social, emotional, and academic skills they need to flourish. They deliver tailored programmes of support in schools through a team of trusted Link Workers. The programmes are co-designed by local private, public and voluntary services and extend beyond individual care, to drive a joined-up ecosystem of local support that strengthens communities while also influencing national policy to promote community-led support models.

The Foundation’s grant will go towards strengthening AllChild’s work with arts-based specialist delivery partners, which feeds into the Foundation’s strategic grant-making theme around Arts, Community and Social Justice.

Create

Established in 2003, Create is the UK’s leading charity empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts.

Create has been delivering inspiring arts opportunities with the UK’s most marginalised children, young people and adults for twenty years, focusing always on providing support where provision is poor and arts engagement is low. Its work targets those furthest from arts engagement and works collaboratively to build programmes that are both impactful and inspirational.

The Line

The Line is East London’s public art trail that connects Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2, following the waterways and the line of the Greenwich meridian. Its outdoor exhibition programme offers a journey through a dynamic urban landscape where for free everyone can explore art, nature and heritage.

Their work focuses on collaborative engagement projects that support well-being and learning while providing opportunities for young people to develop skills and improve employability. These programmes include socially prescribed wellbeing walks, projects to support brain health and an annual Youth Guides programme. At the heart of their work is the belief in the transformative impact of art and nature, and they are committed to increasing access to the arts through their programmes and challenging barriers to participation.

The Line was co-founded in 2015 by its Director, Megan Piper, and the late regeneration expert Clive Dutton OBE (1953-2015) whose life’s work was rooted in a commitment to improving the quality of life for people in urban environments.