The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is a charity that conducts and funds research aimed at solving poverty in the UK. JRF's stated aim is to "inspire action and change that will create a prosperous UK without poverty."
Originally called the Joseph Rowntree Village Trust, it was founded by English businessman
Joseph Rowntree in 1904.
Rowntree, a
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
, was a long-standing
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
and with his brother developed a confectionery company, ''
Rowntree's
Rowntree's is a British confectionery brand and former business based in York, England. Rowntree developed the Kit Kat (introduced in 1935), Aero (introduced in 1935), Fruit Pastilles (introduced in 1881), Smarties (introduced in 1937) brands, ...
''.
He established the foundation in order to investigate the root causes of social problems. In its current form, the foundation works with private, public and voluntary sectors, as well as impoverished people. It is politically neutral and independent from all UK political parties.
History
JRF was established in 1904 by
Joseph Rowntree to understand the root causes of social problems. Joseph was a visionary Quaker businessman and social reformer. Watching his father set-up a York soup kitchen in the mid-1800s helped Joseph to realise that such actions were not comprehensive enough. This led to a shift in the Rowntrees' social action, from treating the symptoms to addressing the root causes of poverty. Joseph gave away half of his own fortune to set up various trusts; he was committed to understanding the causes of poverty and disadvantage in order to create a better society. He built
New Earswick
New Earswick is a model village and civil parish in the unitary authority of City of York in North Yorkshire, England, near the River Foss, north of York and south of Haxby. According to the 2001 census the parish had a population of 2,812, red ...
, a village in York, for people on low incomes, giving them access to decent homes at affordable rents.
Joseph's son,
Seebohm Rowntree
Benjamin Seebohm Rowntree, CH (7 July 1871 – 7 October 1954) was an English sociological researcher, social reformer and industrialist. He is known in particular for his three York studies of poverty conducted in 1899, 1935, and 1951.
The fi ...
, was also a pioneering social researcher who undertook one of the country’s first investigations into poverty. ''
Poverty, A Study of Town Life'' (1901) influenced the Liberal Government's introduction of Old Age Pensions (1908) and National Insurance (1911) as a means of protecting people from insecurity. His further studies of York (in 1936 and 1951) demonstrated the increasing effectiveness of welfare measures in anchoring the citizens of York in times of hardship. Seebohm Rowntree's surveys were pivotal in a line of intellectual thinking that ended with Beveridge’s Welfare State. In addition his book, ''The Human Factor in Business'' (1921), set a standard for various workplace provisions; from pension schemes and industrial regulations to employee education and work’s councils. Such progressive measures led to him becoming an advisor to the Liberal PM
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during t ...
during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. Seebohm helped to design welfare boards in the new state-owned munitions factories.
Both Joseph and Seebohm Rowntree had a clear vision about how to improve people's lives. Joseph outlined these ideas in his 'Founder's Memorandum', a blueprint for his early charitable work. Although it was written in 1904, many of its aims remain at the heart of JRF's mission today: carrying out social research, and working to influence society and policy through robust evidence and communication.
Current work
Areas of work cover:
* Cities, towns and neighbourhoods
* Housing
* Income and benefits
* People
* Society
* Work.
In February 2020, figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation showed that the fraction of people living in poverty in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
who are in a working family is at a record high:
the fraction was 56% in 2018, up from 39% twenty years earlier in 1998.
See also
*
Derwenthorpe
Derwenthorpe is a housing development situated approximately to the east of York city centre which is adjacent to Osbaldwick, Tang Hall and Meadlands. The design and planning for this new estate was undertaken by the Joseph Rowntree Housing T ...
*
Poverty in the United Kingdom
Poverty in the United Kingdom refers to the portion of the population of the United Kingdom that are considered to be in poverty under some measures of poverty.
Data based on incomes published in 2016 by the Department for Work and Pensions ( ...
*
Centre for Research in Social Policy
The Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) is a self-funding research centre based within the Department of Social Sciences at Loughborough University in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands, England.
The C ...
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
1904 establishments in the United Kingdom
Charities based in North Yorkshire
Foundations based in the United Kingdom
Organisations based in York
Organizations established in 1904
Political and economic research foundations
Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom
Rowntree family