The John Slater Foundation

The John Slater Foundation is a grant giving charity set up to honour the memory and legacy of a remarkable man. In his lifetime, John Slater was first a professional footballer for Bolton Wanderers FC, entrepreneur and major industrialist before finally becoming Member of Parliament for Eastbourne. He remains to this day the only former professional footballer to become a Member of Parliament.

In 1964, John Slater’s widow, Elizabeth Anne, and daughter Irene established the Foundation to continue John’s philanthropic work and to fund opportunities and charities close to the area of John’s humble beginnings. Since 1964, the Foundation has donated over £5.0 million to a range of charities close to the family’s wishes. The Foundation continues to fund a select number of charities and the Committee are seeking new opportunities to support local charities in the North West of England and around Eastbourne, the town where John eventually settled.

John Slater was born on 6 April 1889 in Adlington, Lancashire. The son of a mill worker, John was educated at Adlington Congregational School and played as a youth for Adlington White Star football team. At the age of 16 he became one of the youngest professional footballers of his day when he signed for Bolton Wanderers FC. There he spent the majority of his playing career, until it was cut short by the First World War. From there he worked for a large Lancashire coal firm and then started out on his own as an entrepreneur to become one of the major industrialists of his day. His many business interests included companies involved in the coal industry, spinners, weavers and bleachers, as well as pottery and engineering. His businesses stretched as far as Denmark, Germany and France and employed over 35,000 people by the early 1930s.

In 1932 he was elected a Member of Parliament for Eastbourne, where he was a notable parliamentary debater and spoke on a broad range of issues, especially those involving major industrial topics. Tipped to become a future Chancellor of the Exchequer, his glittering parliamentary career was cut short by his sudden death at his annual constituency dinner on 15 February 1935, aged 45.

For a more detailed biography on John Slater, an article written by the PFA The Story of John Slater, Football’s First Millionaire, can be accessed here.

The Foundation is accepting applications for donations, whether short term or longer term commitments. The Committee particularly favours charities in the North West and from towns where John Slater had a connection. These include, Addlington, Bolton, Stoke-on-Trent and Eastbourne.

Please send your application to HSBC Trust Company trust.management.account@hsbc.com or nigel.millar@hsbc.com

The Committee members of the Foundation are:

Christopher J Saunders OBE (Chairman)
Christopher J Band
Andrew Brotherton
Dominic Ribet
Richard Saunders
Paul Slater

Secretary:

Nigel J Millar, Trust Services, HSBC Trust Company (UK) Limted, 2nd Floor Forum 1, Parkway, Whiteley, PO15 7PA