Our history

Walton Charity has been a vital part of the community for over 800 years.

We can trace the charity’s origins to before the year 1212 when a nobleman was given free land in Walton on Thames and in return he and his successors had to commit to helping people in the Parish.

Over the centuries several other charities were established in the area, including the founding of the Almshouses (now Sheltered Housing schemes).

Towards the end of the 19th Century many of these local charities began to merge and in 1984, the name Walton on Thames Charity was adopted. This was also the year the charity started giving financial grants to other local organisations.

Our history is important to the way we work today. Not only in terms of geographic remit but also the spirit of many of the original bequests. We are committed to honouring our past while ensuring we are responding to the need in our local community today.

To mark our 800th anniversary in 2011, David Nash (a local Historian and former trustee of Walton Charity) compiled a detailed account of the charity’s history. A copy of his book ‘I Give and Bequeath’ is available from Walton Charity.