The Salespeople’s Charity is a beneficiary of The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust and we are grateful to the Trust for the support that it has provided and continues to provide to us.

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The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust was bequeathed in Lord Leverhulme’s will in 1925. He was a model philanthropist who showed great generosity and goodwill towards his workers and people across the world more widely. Port Sunlight, the village he designed and built for his workers near Birkenhead, set new standards in living conditions for the working man.

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Born William Lever on 19 September 1851, Lord Leverhulme grew up at 16 Wood Street, Bolton. After leaving school, he entered the family business where he cut and wrapped soap that was purchased in bulk from manufacturers. Due to a rapid growth in sales, a family factory at Port Sunlight was built to commence its own production.

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Importantly for the Salespeople’s Charity, William became a salesman collecting orders and delivering them on his next journey. His sales career boomed and he extended his activities, eventually selling throughout the world.

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During his sales career, William developed an affinity with other salespeople. When he died of pneumonia in 1925, he left a will specifically naming our Charity. This legacy has helped hundreds of salespeople throughout the UK who have fallen upon hard times.

The Salespeople’s Charity has records of donations dating from 1850; these donations came not only from numerous major branded companies, but also in the form of private donations from individuals and the Lever family features regularly amongst these donors.