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Since October 2025 the John Jarrold Trust has been pleased to take over managing the Jarrold Retail Charitable Fund which receives its funding from Jarrold colleague fundraising activities, collecting tins around the Jarrold Department Store, the sale of carrier bags and a contribution on behalf of Jarrold Loyalty customers. The charities funded through this fund are nominated by colleagues in the Jarrold Retail division. In recent years, donations made through this fund have totalled over £12,000 per year. Recent causes supported through the Jarrold Retail Charitable Fund include Norfolk & Waveney Mind, St Martin’s Housing Trust, Break, Nourishing Norfolk, Priscilla Bacon Lodge and Little Lifts.
The income of the Trust itself remains constrained, and the trustees are not currently accepting unsolicited applications for funding. A few discretionary donations are made each year to causes which have been supported previously, in the local area. Potential applicants are asked not to make submissions until invited to do so. If the position changes, this website will be updated.
About the trust
The John Jarrold Trust was set up in 1965 by the then Chairman John Jarrold and his first wife, Grace. It was established with the object of promoting, supporting and advancing charitable purposes of all kinds and in particular of education and research in any of the natural sciences. It is a company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital. The Trust’s income is mostly derived from dividends from its shareholding in Jarrold & Sons Ltd although it has been pleased to benefit from a recent legacy. The trust is able to accept donations.
The Trust supports a wide range of organisations and most charitable applications for funding which are sent to the Jarrold company are referred to the Trust. The Trust supports causes in the following categories: welfare and community, the arts, education, medical research (this is currently focused on research being undertaken at the UEA and Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital), churches and historic buildings and the environment. Apart from developing countries nearly all of the support relates to causes in Norwich and Norfolk, with a current focus on Norwich, Wymondham and Cromer areas.
The Trust is not able to support individual education programmes or support needs directly. At present it does not support gap year type projects.
The Trust supports historic churches in Norfolk through the Norfolk Churches Trust to which it gives regular donations. The Trustees do not consider applications from individual churches.
Since its establishment, the Trust has distributed over £4.5 million mostly within Norwich and Norfolk.
Charity number: 242029