Mayor's Trust Raises Over £38,000 for Local Charities
Kingston's Mayor's Charitable Trust successfully raised £38,314.52 for Learn English at Home and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry.
By Priya Shah
••2 min read
AI
Generic image of a cheque on a table.
The Mayor’s Charitable Trust has raised a total of £38,314.52 during the 2025/26 mayoral term, supporting two local charities focused on resilience.
The Mayor’s Charitable Trust successfully raised £38,314.52 during the 2025/26 mayoral term. This achievement was announced by Mr Hadjimichael at the Retiring Mayor’s Dinner held in Kingston last month.
The funds were raised for Learn English at Home (LEAH) and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), with each charity receiving cheques worth £19,157.26. The charities were selected based on the theme of resilience, a key focus for Mr Hadjimichael during his term, which began in May 2025.
LEAH, a local charity supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds, many seeking sanctuary in the borough, will use the funds to enhance its personalised language support. This will aid in improving communication, boosting confidence, and fostering a sense of belonging.
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"The Mayor’s support will enable LEAH to provide 1-to-1 mentoring and small classes in the borough. People come to us feeling excluded and we work with them for a year or more, providing them with language skills so that they can live more independently. This support will also create opportunities for our learners to discover and enjoy their local community - from visits to Kingston Museum and All Saints Church, to riverside walks and trips to local parks, helping them experience more of what Kingston has to offer. These experiences help learners become more confident navigating their local area, meeting others and developing a genuine sense of connection and belonging in Kingston."
FANY, an all-female voluntary organisation, deploys rapid response teams to support civil and military authorities during crises. The funds will assist in providing essential training for volunteers responding to emergencies.
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"As I take over the reins as Commanding Officer of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (FANY), I reiterate the sincere thanks made by my predecessor, Commandant Lisa Giles, for the support, fellowship and generosity shown by the Mayor in making us a beneficiary of the Mayor’s 2025/26 Appeal. The money will help support vital training and the Corps operational capacity, enabling our FANY volunteers to continue to assist civil and military partners in an ever-increasingly volatile environment."
For information on charities supported by the Mayor’s Charitable Trust during 2026/27, please visit the Mayor’s pages on the council website.
