Kindred
The Henry Smith Charity
When Henry Smith died in 1628 his Will included a legacy to help members of his family (his “Kindred”) in financial need. Henry had no children of his own, so by Kindred he meant descendants of his sister Joan.
Today more than 3,500 Kindred are registered with us and 206 people received financial support in 2020.
We are able to offer a range of help and support. This includes access to a free confidential Helpline as well as financial assistance.
Financial assistance is mainly for those with low incomes and will depend on the circumstances and financial needs of the person or family applying. Requests for support are considered on a case-by-case basis by the Kindred Trustees, and any help provided is at their discretion. Kindred who wish to apply for financial assistance will be sent a detailed application form to complete and return. The form is important because it helps us to understand a person’s financial situation, as well as to properly assess what support they need.
Our confidential Helpline provides information and advice on a range of issues including financial advice, health, mental health and personal issues, befriending, counselling services and legal advice. The Helpline is available to all registered Kindred regardless of their income.
In terms of the financial help available, this can include support for retired and working-age adults on low incomes, grants to cover vocational training for young people or those needing to re-train, grants for students taking first degrees at UK universities, or grants for one-off costs such as white goods.
Kindred Widening
We have recently begun a project to identify and find Kindred whose families stopped registering with us one or more generations ago.
If you receive a letter from us as part of the Kindred Widening project, it will include information about registration procedures (verification). We would be happy to talk to you if you have any questions about that or any other aspect of the Kindred programme.
To register as Kindred, individuals need to supply evidence showing they are a direct descendant of, or adopted by, one of the Kindred previously registered with us (within certain date restrictions). Please contact the Kindred Team for further information.