Who We Are
Together for Bedford: Our Strategy
Our new strategy will see us build on our rich heritage in education and grant giving by working together to transform young lives, right across our community.
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We are setting a new, long term strategic goal: to invest in people’s futures.
We aim to work for a generation across our whole community, to help tackle the cyclical relationship between disadvantage, lack of opportunities, poor educational outcomes and future poverty.
In the first three years, the main difference will be two new innovative and collaborative community programmes supporting children and young people: the Accelerator Programme and Bedford Giving. We have spent the last two years trialling this new approach, and have built partnerships with seven local primary schools and a range of local funders, businesses and public bodies. We now aim to strengthen this network and ultimately to mobilise the whole community in Bedford behind this common cause.
To succeed we will need to be outward-facing, collaborative and inclusive. We will also need to become a knowledge engine, gathering evidence and insights and sharing with everyone who joins us on our mission so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Our continuing commitment to high quality education and a generous bursary programme both support this goal, as does our continuing grants programme, which will aim to have the greatest impact we can for the people who need our help most.
Together we can help build a community where everyone can thrive.
We are part of Bedford Giving – give, get and grow a brighter future for our next generation at www.bedfordgiving.org.uk
Our vision is a community where everyone can thrive.
Our mission is to nurture potential and improve people’s lives.
Our focus is Bedford Borough, while our impact flows far beyond.
Our 15-year goal is to invest in people’s futures by:
- Enabling more children and young people facing disadvantage to achieve their potential.
- Offering high quality, distinctive and financially sustainable education.
- Supporting children to access our schools with high value, impactful bursaries.
- Maximising our impact on local community needs.
- Continuing to build a more effective, efficient, resilient organisation greater than the sum of its parts.
Our Values
- We are innovative and forward looking
- We are caring, fair and respectful
- We are open and outward looking
- We are socially responsible
- We believe in quality and effectiveness
- We act with integrity
- We are inclusive (read about our commitment to inclusion)
Our Team
Our History
SIR WILLIAM HARPUR'S VISION
The Harpur Trust was founded over 450 years ago by Sir William Harpur, a local man born to humble beginnings who made his fortune as a merchant tailor and who became Lord Mayor of London in 1561.
Today our activities are still inspired by Sir William Harpur's vision. He understood the value of education, and he saw the real needs to be addressed a month the disadvantaged, poor and sick in his home town of Bedford.
More about our history
