Mobbs Memorial Trust

The Mobbs Memorial Trust was formed by Sir Noel Mobbs in 1956 with Mobbs family funds to provide the initial finance totalling £150,000. In 1959, when approaching his 80th birthday, which sadly he did not live to see, Sir Noel wrote…

”The principal purpose which I, as Lord of the Manor, formed the Trust is for the maintenance in perpetuity of the peace, quietness and beauty of the ancient Church and Churchyard of Saint Giles in which Thomas Gray wrote his famous Elegy, the adjoining Manor House and Memorial Gardens.”

The original objectives were:

•  To assist in the preservation and maintenance in Stoke Poges of St Giles Church, the Memorial Gardens (dedicated in 1935 by the Bishop of Buckingham as a Garden of Remembrance which was passed in 1971 to the then Eton Rural District Council – now South Bucks District Council) and the National Trust field on the east side of the Churchyard.

• To support charitable objects within such parts of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire within a radius of 4 miles (increased in 1973 to 35 miles as the original radius was too restrictive) of St Giles Church.

TRUSTEES

The original Managing Trustees were Sir Noel Mobbs and his sons Richard, Eric and Gerald. Subsequent Trustees have included Sir Nigel Mobbs, Michael Mobbs, Charles Mobbs and the current Trustees, Sandra Greenslade (Chair), Christopher Mobbs, Alexander Mobbs and Will Greenslade. The Trustees meet quarterly to consider applications.

ASSETS

The Trust’s assets are primarily invested on the London Stock Exchange, are administered by professional portfolio managers and the income generated is applied to achieving the objectives of the Trust.

OBJECTIVES (Adopted 5th December 2012)

The Trust's objects are specifically restricted to the following:

(a) to assist in the preservation and maintenance of:

(i) the ancient church of St Giles, Stoke Poges in the county of Buckinghamshire and any auxiliary church or church buildings and the services therein;

(ii) the churchyard and extensions thereof in which Thomas Gray wrote his Elegy;

(iii) the dedicated Gardens of Remembrance for the burial of ashes on the West side of the churchyard;

(iv) the National Trust field on the East side of the churchyard; and

(b) to support any charitable objects within such parts of the counties of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire as are within a radius of 35 miles from the Parish Church of Stoke Poges.