In 1873 Archibald Colquhoun left a sum of £20,000 to be invested by the Trustees and the income from the investments was to be used to help the beneficiaries. In 1953 The Colquhoun Bequest Supplementary Fund was added (see Background and Aims).
These Colquhoun bequest funds have grown over the years and are invested in a mixture of gilts (government bonds or debt), good quality corporate bonds and UK traded equities. The investment goals are a balance between ensuring capital growth and income to fund the payments to beneficiaries. Inevitably the Trustees take a reasonably risk adverse approach to the investments and the investments are reviewed regularly with professional advisers.
DonationsThe investment income does not cover all the payments to beneficiaries – we depend on donations too. In order to maintain, and if possible increase, the number of beneficiaries the Trust depends on donations. With the recent loss of tax relief, and the current low returns on investments, donations are increasingly important.