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Over £455,000 Delivered in Interest-Free Loans by Charity in 2021

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As we enter 2022, Leicester-based The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity has announced that a total of £455,950 was delivered to people aged 18 to 45 within the county, in the form of the charity’s unique interest-free loans, throughout 2021.

Established in 1542 after a dowry was left to the city of Leicester by Sir Thomas White in 1542, today The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity provides interest-free loans of up to £20,000 to aid business start-up or development within the county, or interest-free loans of up to £10,000 to students wishing to study at postgraduate level to enhance their career prospects.

Running four application windows on a quarterly basis throughout the year, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity has confirmed that a total of £289,650 was delivered in the form of 22 interest-free loans to start or grow businesses in 2021.

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Interest-Free Loans Totalling £145,500 Awarded to People in Leicestershire & Rutland

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The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is pleased to announce that 12 interest-free loans were awarded to people within Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland in the final quarter of 2021.

Totalling £145,500, the latest sum in interest-free loans is to be utilised to either fund business start-up or development, or postgraduate education.

Established in 1542, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity hosts quarterly application windows each year in which people aged over 18 and under 45 can apply for unique interest-free loans of up to £20,000 to aid local businesses, or £10,000 to support students wishing to return to postgraduate education.

At the culmination of 2021, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity approved eight loans totalling £105,500 which will support the start-up or development of local business ventures, including a cleaning service, vegan fast-food outlet and a clothing retailer.

Of the eight loans for business approved, one delivered additional support to a business that had already benefited from one of the charity’s loans previously, highlighting the continued backing on offer from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity.

A further four loans, totalling £40,000, was approved to support students wishing to return to university to study for postgraduate qualifications, which include a PhD in chemistry and Mphil Classical Archaeology.

David Howard, Chair of Trustees of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, said: “We’re delighted to have been able to approve a total of £145,500 at the culmination of 2021, but looking ahead to 2022, we simply want to help more people in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

“It’s been another challenging year for so many people, who have felt the effect of the on-going pandemic on the economy. The loans on offer from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity are truly unique. Nowhere else can you borrow up to £20,000 interest-free to help start or grow a business, nor would you get three years before equal monthly repayments start. We do offer that, so I’d encourage anybody who feels they could benefit from such support in 2022 to consider applying.”

Application packs are available to download upon completion of a contact form on our Business Loans and Education Loans pages.

The next deadline for applications is 3.30pm on Tuesday 4 January 2022.

Barrie Stephen Anstey

Barrie Stephen Hair Celebrating 25 Years of Style

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Barrie Stephen Hair celebrates an incredible 25 years of bringing red carpet ready style to Leicestershire on Thursday 4 November 2011.

Critics told him that big city trends wouldn’t work in the sleepy village of Anstey, but Barrie Stephen defied all expectations by creating a luxury brand that has supported the regeneration of the area. Subsequently he has opened a further three salons and a collaborative barbershop across the city and county in his quarter-century success story.

Barrie opened his first salon on 4 November 1996 with the support of a business loan from the Sir Thomas White Charity. He is now our Patron, encouraging young people to follow in his footsteps and exercise their entrepreneurial spirit.

“It’s really important to give back to the community that has supported me over the years” Barrie says. “In 25 years I am proud to have supported 25 charities, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for good causes in Leicestershire.”

Most recently this has included raising funds as an Ambassador for Leicester Animal Aid, but in the past Barrie and his team have collected money to help women’s refuges and other locally based charities.

Barrie Stephen Hair have also commanded the attention of their industry, being recognised with an incredible number of accolades over the years. The salons, the team and Barrie himself have received nearly 100 national awards – from Best Salon Group nationally to Business Person of the Year. As a local lad that has been able to forge a successful pathway, Barrie is very conscious of offering opportunities to other locals.

“We have helped hundreds of young people to get their foot on the ladder as professional stylists” Barrie told us. “My business has always been about people – we find success by working together and lifting each other up.”

Many of the people Barrie has trained in his salons have gone on to start their own businesses and become national award winners in their own right.

In Barrie Stephen Hair’s silver jubilee year, Barrie is understandably in a reflective mood. Like so many others, he and his team have been through a difficult time over lockdown. Protecting the jobs of the 50 people he employs became the priority. However, throughout his career, Barrie has always been known for acting responsibly – putting his team and his customers first. His salon group have routinely been using mandatory skin tests for hair colour services for nearly 15 years, and they are also pioneers of sustainable, environmentally friendly and vegan hair products.

Barrie is looking forward to another 25 years of giving back to the people of Leicestershire – starting with cupcakes and fizz to celebrate with his customers in the Anstey salon on Thursday afternoon!

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Ten Loans Approved in Latest Quarter by The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity

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The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is pleased to reveal that a total of £101,300 was approved in interest-free loans for people in Leicestershire in the third quarter of 2021.

One of the county’s oldest charities, having been established in 1542, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity provides interest-free loans to people within Leicestershire and Rutland, either to fund postgraduate education or to enable people to start or develop businesses.

In the latest quarter, three business ventures are set to benefit from a collective £40,000, including a beauty salon and café.

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Over £170,000 Approved in Unique Loans to Benefit Businesses and Postgraduate Education Ventures

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The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is delighted to announce that a sum of £174,400 has been awarded in interest-free loans to people within Leicestershire, following the conclusion of the charity’s second quarter of 2021.

One of Leicester’s oldest charities, having been established in 1542, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity provides loans to people within Leicestershire which are truly unique. Loans awarded by The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity are completely interest-free, with borrowers having a three-year rest period before equal monthly repayments commence over the following six years.

In the second quarter of the year, a total of 10 interest-free loans, totalling £134,400 have been awarded. Ventures that are set to benefit from the charity’s funding include a haulage company, a clothing brand and a tattoo artist.

Ammo and Barrie

Charity to Make £50,000 Available in Grants to Businesses in Pilot Scheme

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Having provided interest-free loans to help support aspiring and existing business owners within Leicestershire and Rutland since 1542, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is delighted to announce a new pilot scheme, which will see £50,000 delivered in grants to businesses in need.

Applications will be welcomed from business owners within the county requiring financial support, with individuals invited to apply for a grant of up to £5,000.

A total of £50,000 has been allocated by The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity to be delivered in business grants for 2021, with this year’s pilot scheme providing an additional opportunity for one of the city’s oldest charities to help more businesses at what has been an unprecedented period as a result of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

Based at Friar’s Mill in the heart of Leicester city centre, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is one of the city’s oldest charities and provides unique interest-free loans to the value of £20,000 to new and existing businesses in Leicestershire and Rutland to aid start-up or development.

With no interest to pay on loans over a nine-year period and a three-year break before repayments commence, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity’s unique support has helped a number of well-known businesses within the county, including Barrie Stephen Hair whose owner, Barrie Stephen, is patron of the charity.

Prior to the launch of this scheme, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity has regularly delivered grants in the form of scholarships for high achieving pupils within the county. The new business grants, although limited in the total available, explores a new direction for the charity, providing additional support whilst also making more business owners aware of the unique loans on offer should they be needed.

Barrie Stephen, owner of the Barrie Stephen Hair group and patron of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, said: “Without the help of The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, I wouldn’t have been able to open the first Barrie Stephen salon in Anstey. Their support is truly unique and we’re incredibly lucky to have it available to us as business owners in Leicestershire.

“It’s been an unbelievably hard time for so many businesses that have been forced to keep their doors shut as a result of the pandemic and restrictions put in place. The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity has always highlighted its desire to boost our local economy through the support of entrepreneurs and businesses – and in piloting their business grant scheme this year, that desire is clearer than ever. I encourage any business that could benefit from a £5,000 boost to apply.”

Lucy Womack, Trustee at The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity leading the grants scheme, added: “For the last few years we have awarded grants through our scholarship programme. This year we are in position to add to this pot and award grants to businesses that have a clearly identified charitable need. The impact on businesses that COVID-19 has had can’t be ignored by the charity and we have decided to allocate £50,000. We hope to see a number of applications come through, and if successful, there’s a realistic possibility that this scheme will be extended into next year, which would be fantastic.”

Anybody interested in applying for a business grant of up to £5,000 from The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity can do so by visiting www.stwcharity.co.uk/business-grants, where you can also find further information on the scheme.

The application deadline is 31 August 2021. Applications will be reviewed by the grant committee, with final decisions taken on grant awards during the week commencing 13 September 2021.

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£34,750 Approved in Interest-Free Loans in Opening Quarter of 2021

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The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity approved four interest-free loans, totalling £34,750, following the conclusion of its opening quarter for 2021.

Based at Friar’s Mill in Leicester, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity – established in 1542 – provides interest-free loans to people aged over 18 and under 45 in Leicestershire and Rutland, to aid business start-up or development, or postgraduate education.

Of the four loans approved in March 2021, three will be utilised by students within or from the county, to enable them to continue education at postgraduate level. A total of £25,000 was approved to support students, two of which will be participating in an MSc in Mental Health and an MSc in Doctoral Studies.

Learn AT Laptops

Sir Thomas White Loan Charity Delivers Grant to Fund Laptops for Children in Leicestershire

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158 children unable to access laptops for remote learning during lockdown will now be able to, thanks to a near-£30,000 grant delivered by The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity to Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT).

Following an appeal to local organisations, this week Learn-AT has taken delivery of 158 new laptops.

After reading the Trust’s appeal in the local press, David Howard, Chair of Trustees at The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity, contacted Learn-AT to learn more about the importance of laptops in ensuring that every child has access to remote education during lockdown and self-isolation.