The Retail Trust, trading as Retail TRUST, is a registered charity based in North London which aims to support those working and retired from the

retail industry Retail is the sale of goods In economics, goods are anything that is good, usually in the sense that it provides welfare or utility to someone. Alan V. Deardorff, 2006. ''Terms Of Trade: Glossary of International Economics'', World Sci ...

in the United Kingdom. The charity runs a helpline and several retirement estates in England and Scotland, as well as providing educational bursaries and hardship grants.

History

Retail TRUST was founded in 1832 by Thomas Helps, as ''The Linen and Woollen Drapers, Silk Mercers, Lacemen, Haberdashers and Hosiers' Institution''. Initially it was a "confederacy of good feeling" with close links to the emerging department store sector. In 1898, an estate in Mill Hill was donated to the charity, which became the first retirement estate for aged retail workers and it changed its name to ''The Cottage Homes Charity''.

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

became a patron in 1948. Two more retirement estates were acquired in 1956 and 1960, in Derby and Glasgow respectively. In 1996, Cottage Homes launched its Helpline, which shifted the focus of the charity to current retail workers. In 2002, the charity adopted the present name and opened a fourth retirement home in Liverpool. A fifth retirement estate was opened in 2009 in Salford. In 2001, it became a

private company limited by guarantee A company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of company where the liability of members in the event the company is wound up is limited to a (typically very small) amount listed in the company's articles or constitution. Most have no share cap ...

and not having share capital, registered under the

Companies Act 1985 The Companies Act 1985 (c. 6) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, enacted in 1985, which enabled companies to be formed by registration, and set out the responsibilities of companies, their ...

, with exemption from use of the limited suffix.

Events

Traditionally Retail TRUST's fundraising initiatives focused on high-profile gala events, such as the London Ball, the Great Northern Ball and the Grand Scottish Ball. The first London Ball was held in 1952. The annual ball has become one of the most prestigious events in the retail calendar. It is regularly attended by retail giants, such as Sir Stuart Rose and

Sir Philip Green Sir Philip Nigel Ross Green (born 15 March 1952) is a British businessman who was the chairman of the retail company Arcadia Group. He owned the high street clothing retailers Topshop, Topman, and Miss Selfridge from 2002 to 2020. In May 20 ...

as well as celebrities e.g. Caprice The Ball has been hosted by several household names, including

Ruby Wax Ruby Wax (; born 19 April 1953) is an American-British actress, comedian, writer, television presenter, and mental health campaigner. A classically-trained actress, Wax co-starred on the ITV sitcom '' Girls on Top'' (1985–1986), and came t ...

and

Jimmy Carr James Anthony Patrick Carr (born 15 September 1972) is an Irish-British comedian, presenter, writer and actor. He is known for his rapid-fire deadpan delivery of One-line joke, one-liners. He began his comedy career in 1997, and he has regula ...

. Retail TRUST also launched a talent competition in 2009 called Search for a Star.

Retail CU

Retail Credit Union Limited, trading as Retail CU, is a savings and loans

co-operative A cooperative (also known as co-operative, coöperative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democr ...

launched in 2017. In 2013, retailTRUST identified mounting concerns among retailers about the number of employees reporting financial difficulties, prompting the establishment of a

credit union A credit union is a member-owned nonprofit organization, nonprofit cooperative financial institution. They may offer financial services equivalent to those of commercial banks, such as share accounts (savings accounts), share draft accounts (che ...

for retail. It is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the

Financial Conduct Authority The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is a financial regulatory body in the United Kingdom. It operates independently of the UK Government and is financed by charging fees to members of the financial services industry. The FCA regulates financi ...

and the PRA. Ultimately, like the banks and building societies, members’ savings are protected against business failure by the

Financial Services Compensation Scheme The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) is the UK's statutory compensation scheme for customers of UK authorised financial services firms. This means it can step in to pay compensation if a firm is unable, or likely to be unable, to p ...

.Jones, Ruper
John Lewis-backed credit union bids to fend off payday lenders
The Guardian, 23 May 2017

References

External links

Retail TrustRetail Credit Union
{{Credit Unions in the United Kingdom Charities based in London Retailing organizations Credit unions of the United Kingdom

History

Events

Retail CU

See also

References

External links