Helping Support Our Local Communities

Helping Support Our Local Communities

The Riverside & Florence Trusts were established in 1972 to benefit communities within which we operate. Since 2010 the trusts have supported hundreds of charities, schools,institutions and local communities with more than £2m in donations.

We have donated a massive

£2,447,031

Objectives

The Sutton Group aims to be a responsible member of the community, and favours supporting causes close to the locations in which we operate and trade. The combined funds from our two trusts empower local communities focusing on the below objectives:

  • Establish, maintain and support places of education.
  • Establish, maintain, and support places providing relief for sickness and infirmity, and for the aged.
  • Relieve the poverty of persons employed or formerly employed in the shoe trade.
  • Provide general public benefits.

Who We Are

John Willy Johnson founded the Group with an ethos to employ as many local people as possible. On his retirement in 1972 he gifted his shareholding to set up the Riverside Trust and Florence Trust with the primary aim of supporting local charitable institutions within the Rossendale area.

The Governance system he created still underpins our charitable objectives to this day, albeit on a larger scale as the Group has expanded beyond the Rossendale Valley.

The Trusts involves current and former employees from across the group and also contains external members to help decide how best to spend this money and, as a result, receives regular requests through employees as well as directly from charitable organisations and local community groups.

To apply for funding, Download Our PDF form here
Registered number 01048511 and 01095504 | Charity Number 264015 and 265754