Our History

The Claremont Trust was established on the 31st of July 1948 in the aftermath of World War II by three brothers, Alistair Paton Forrester-Paton, The Reverend Colin Forrester-Paton B.D. and Douglas Shaw Forrester-Paton B.A., with an awareness of the suffering and moral turmoil of that time and the challenge facing the Church.

The Deed which established the Trust lays down that the Trust Fund shall be applied to such purposes in any part of the world as are embraced by the word “charitable” according to Scots Law and which in the Trustees judgement “are best fitted for assisting towards the proclamation of the Christian Gospel and the fulfilment of its demands in the life of society”.

Rather than putting its comparatively slender resources into relief and remedial work, however, the Trust has seen its role as being to give support to more radical and constructive enterprises, both within and outside the Church. In its choice of such enterprises the Trustees have sought those which seemed to them to give practical expression to the Christian Gospel in the life of society, and those which aimed to encourage and support Christian laypeople trying to live out their faith in the moral and practical complexities of the secular world. Within the Church they try to give support to movements or initiatives which are a renewing influence on the Church’s life as a living community existing for the sake of the world around it in all they need.

In its grant giving the Trust has tried to direct support particularly to new and promising initiatives which would find it difficult to attract funds from other sources, but need help to get on their feet and in due course to generate sufficient local financial support for their growth and development.

The Trust is registered as a Charity on Scotland with the Office of the Charity Regulator, charity registration number SC002721.

Further details can be found on the OSCR website www.oscr.org.uk and search for Claremont Trust.