The idea of creating a charitable foundation arose in 2010 in response to the impact of the new government’s austerity programme on Westminster Council’s provision of services to the young and elderly.  

It took a couple of years for councillors to bring this idea to fruition, by which time Sir Simon Milton, the former pioneering and longest serving leader of Westminster City Council, had unexpectedly died in April 2011.  

It was decided to name the new charity in his memory and for the Foundation to have the principal aim of continuing to deliver Simon’s vision of a caring city that offers opportunity for all.

The Foundation was formally established by a Trust Deed dated 13^th June 2012 as an unincorporated charity, regulated by the Charity Commission of England and Wales.

In 2017, the Foundation applied to the Commission to register as a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO), operating under the same name, but with simplified Objects to permit the expansion of its charitable activities to a wider geographical area, where appropriate.

The Charity Commission approved the CIO’s constitution with its revised Objects and the CIO was registered on 29^th August 2017. 

In 2022 we celebrated our 10^th anniversary.  In those 10 years we have raised well over £5 million enabling us to deliver a wide range of charitable programmes in Westminster and more widely, reducing loneliness and social isolation among older residents and supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in education and training.