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The Friarsgate Trust

The Friarsgate Trust awards grants to help improve the quality of life for people and their communities. Their objectives are to develop the skills of young people, adults and vulnerable members of the community through grants in the fields of social welfare and education.

Founded by philanthropist Charles Percival Bassil Shippam, MBE, in 1955 the purpose of the The Friarsgate Trust has remained unaltered since its establishment – to channel the activities of himself and his family towards the interests of the charities he supported.

Bassil Shippam was a man of great integrity, who was always ready to help and serve the community where he could. He was well-known both locally and nationally for a lifetime of voluntary work for many charitable organisations in Chichester and West Sussex.

He held numerous public offices, including Chairman of the Magistrates Bench, school governor to many of the local schools as well as being a founder member of The Chichester Boys Club, for which he was awarded the MBE. He was also Vice President of the Chichester Association for the Elderly. He found his satisfaction in seeing these good causes prosper.

In 1958 he became Chairman of C Shippam Ltd, Chichester’s best-known local family firm, and he remained the company’s Chairman until his death in 1969. The company can trace its history back to the eighteenth century; it was renowned for its sausages, jars of paste and potted meats. The original factory site is situated on the corner of Chichester’s East Street and East Walls – and the Shippam clock with the wishbone logo can still be seen hanging outside the building today.

Read about The Friarsgate Trust’s generous support for ‘Courageous Cory’s Big Build’ here.