About Us
Who was Sylvia Adams?
Sylvia Adams was a professional collector of antiques and works of art. Born in 1907, her career was at its peak in the 1930s and 1940s. She broke many of the traditions of her age to start working in, and later to part own, a London antique shop She collected for one person in particular, Colonel Boscowan who was based in Tanzania and whose collection is now housed in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. In addition she had a wonderful personal collection which included renaissance bronzes, ivories, furniture and mirrors.
The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust
The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust was founded in 1996 in line with her stated wishes, and with the money from the sale of her personal collection of antiques and works of art.
The Trust has already distributed over £9million in grants to a wide variety of organisations in Hertfordshire, in the UK and overseas.
Making Charitable Giving More Rewarding
The Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust has launched a new service for philanthropists: sharing the Trust’s expertise and knowledge of grant making with those looking to make their own charitable donations of £10,000 or more. This is a free service linking donors with charities and their activities. Click here for further details
Mission and values
Our mission is to help our beneficiary charities, and those philanthropists we work with, to deliver solutions that work. We are striving to be an organisation which is approachable and respectful and which makes grants efficiently, fairly and objectively within clearly stated guidelines.
We are a registered charity, number 1050678