New Trust created in memory of Julia Rausing will donate £100mn in first year
Melanie May | 12 July 2024 | News
The Julia Rausing Trust launches today in memory of the late philanthropist, who died earlier this year. The Trust will see £100 million donated to UK charities and organisations in its first year.
The Julia Rausing Trust, founded by her husband Hans Rausing, will grant funds to organisations, and causes which were important and meaningful to Julia Rausing, reflecting her significant philanthropy over a number of years.
£50 million has been granted as part of the first round of donations, including a £10 million grant to the Royal Opera House for major upgrades to its staging and lighting to improve the environment for artists and the audience including a new stage curtain. This grant follows a £12.5 million donation made by Julia Rausing in 2023 as principal sponsor which is being received over a five year period.
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£5 million has been granted to The National Gallery to fund refurbishment to its mews, connecting the Sainsbury Wing and the Wilkins building for the anticipated six million annual visitors, and the creation of new seminar rooms and an artist studio.
£1 million has been donated to Gloucester Cathedral to fund repairs and refurbishment of its organ.
All three organisations were important to Julia Rausing and have previously been supported by her philanthropy through the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust. Most recently, the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust funded a restoration to Gloucester Cathedral’s famous Cloister in 2022 as well as a £4 million grant towards the refurbishment of Room 32, the largest gallery within The National Gallery.
The Julia Rausing Trust will be funding organisations and projects in three areas: Arts & Heritage; Health & Welfare; and Education
Julia Rausing was one of Britain’s leading philanthropists, driving her philanthropy through the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust for ten years. In that time the Trust made more than 1,000 donations totalling over £330 million. In 2023, the Julia and Hans Rausing Trust granted more than £71 million, its largest year of donations.
The Trust will announce further grants in due course.
Hans Rausing said:
“The Julia Rausing Trust is a fitting legacy to Julia’s philanthropic vision and has been established to support causes that were close to her heart. Julia’s love for the arts was self-evident. She enjoyed a highly successful career in the arts and subsequently brought her expertise to supporting Galleries and Museums that benefit millions every year.
“I hope that the Julia Rausing Trust will bring awareness to her generosity, demonstrate the important work philanthropy does, and support causes and organisations which are the backbone of our society.”
Alex Beard, Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House said:
“Julia Rausing was a dedicated patron and true lover of the arts, and we are extremely thankful for this generous grant in her memory, which will be providing vital funds needed to help us renew our stage infrastructure to deliver the state of the art facilities that our artists deserve and allow our audiences to continue to enjoy performances in our beautiful Grade I listed building in Covent Garden.
This gift is in addition to an annual fixed contribution that The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust has pledged over five years, which supports our two artistic companies, our ability to build the audiences of the future and our work in schools and communities up and down the country.”
Gabriele Finaldi, Director of the National Gallery said,
“Julia Rausing was a huge influence on the National Gallery. She thought it was an important and beautiful museum and that to fulfil its purpose it should be well run, it should look elegant and smart, and it should be welcoming to everyone. She wanted to help, to make a difference. It was thanks to her very direct interest that we undertook two major renovation projects: the refurbishment of Room 32, the gallery that now bears her and Hans’s name, and the cleaning of the National Gallery facade on Trafalgar Square.
“This latest grant to honour Julia’s memory enables us to look to the future, to a Gallery that serves its visiting public better and supports artistic creativity and research on the paintings in the collection.
“She wanted us to be our best and helped us to do that. We owe her a great deal.”
The Very Reverend Andrew Zihni, Dean of Gloucester said:
“We are incredibly grateful for this generous donation in memory of Julia Rausing, whose legacy will echo through the magnificent sound of the new Cathedral organ. Music has long been a central part of Gloucester Cathedral’s mission and the restored organ will bring joy to our communities as we expand our musical outreach.
This gift will be a strong reminder for us all of Julia’s passion and generosity. She will be fondly remembered as a significant philanthropic leader, whose legacy will be cherished for generations to come.”
Other organisations which have been supported in this first wave of Arts and Heritage giving include:
- Science Museum
- St James’s, Piccadilly
- St Peter’s Church, Broughton
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.