The Merrett Bequest originated from the generosity of a prominent Old Mercer, Henry Merrett, who endowed the Mercers’ Company with funds for the benefit of providing support for the furtherance of commercial education for boys who had been educated at Mercers’ School.

With the closure of the school in 1959 and the passage of time the original objective has fallen away but the Mercers’ Company, working closely with the Old Mercers’ Club, obtained the permission of the Charity Commissioners to a ‘cy-press’ agreement to amend the objectives. The terms of the agreement are that whilst the Mercers’ Company remains the Corporate Trustee they do take into account the views of the Committee of the Old Mercers’ Club about charitable payments made by the bequest.

The Bequest considers:

Grants to schools, both primary and secondary, based on guidance from the Mercers’ Company mainly to schools in the east end of London.

Educational Prizes to some of the schools and colleges within the Mercers’ Company Association of Schools.

Bursaries, Prizes and Professional Grants to former pupils of Mercers’ Company Association of Schools or children or grandchildren of Old Mercers’.

Grants to the Old Mercers’ Benevolent Fund when needed.

The Mercers’ School Memorial Trust, which provides financial support to Gresham College to fund the Mercers School Memorial Professor of Commerce at Gresham College, now forms part of the bequest. www.mercers.co.uk