Charity Details
The Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh Charitable Trust
SC051300Registered charity from 28 September 2021Notes:
3.2 The advancement of education through:
3.2.1 the provision of assistance to any project, scheme or undertaking which the Trustees consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of any community, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on projects, schemes or undertakings which will benefit those in necessitous circumstances and in the Edinburgh and Lothian area;
3.2.2 the provision of training and other arrangements, which will, in the opinion of the Trustees, increase and expand the knowledge and awareness of young people working in industry, business, or commerce in Scotland and elsewhere throughout the world;
3.2.3 the provision of assistance to any other established charity which the Trustees consider to have purposes similar to either of those described in clause 3.2.1 - 3.2.2 above;
3.2.4 the provision of grants, bursaries, prizes, study or research grants, books, tools, instruments, kits or any other equipment as the Trustees may consider necessary to advance education and learning and adventure or service projects, with preference to be given to a pupil or former pupil of George Watson's College, though this preference shall not be read as exclusive; and
3.2.5 the provision of travel scholarships to assist a period of study or work experience within Europe (but outwith the UK) which relates to the economics of the country or countries in which it is carried out, with preference to be given to a pupil or former pupil of George Watson's College, though this preference shall not be read as exclusive.
Charity Information:
Address
The Merchants' Hall,
22 Hanover Street
Edinburgh
22 Hanover Street
Edinburgh
Postcode
EH2 2EP
Website
mcoe.org.uk
Regulatory Type
Standard
Object:
The Trustees shall hold the Trust Fund for such purposes ("Purposes") only as are within the meaning of charitable purposes in terms of the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005 as amended or superseded from time to time which are also regarded as charitable purposes in relation to the application of the Taxes Acts from time to time in force; DECLARING that the Purposes may include all or any of the following purposes:-
3.1 The prevention or relief of poverty through:
3.1.1 the provision of an income to those persons in necessitous circumstances with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on those persons who additionally have strong ties to the City of Edinburgh;
3.1.2 the provision of financial support to those persons in need by reason of age, ill health, disability, financial hardship, bereavement, or other necessitous circumstances, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on those persons who additionally reside in the Edinburgh and Lothian area, and to Merchant Company members who are found in reduced circumstances;
3.1.3 the provision of assistance to any project, scheme or undertaking which the Trustees consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of any community, with a particular, though not exclusive, focus on projects, schemes or undertakings which will benefit those in necessitous circumstances and in the Edinburgh and Lothian area; and
3.1.4 the provision of assistance to any other established charity which the Trustees consider to have purposes similar to either of those described in clause 3.1.1 - 3.1.3 above;
Operations:
What the charity is set up to do and how it does this:
· To encourage and provide assistance to any project, schemes or undertakings, which the Trustees will consider to be of benefit to the public or sectors of the community in the Edinburgh area.
· To promote and encourage the advancement of education of children and young persons up to the age of 30 by the provision of facilities, projects, schemes, courses of instruction and training and other arrangements.
· To provide assistance of an educational, social, welfare or any kind to any such children or young persons whom the Trustees consider to be disadvantaged by reason of ill health, financial or family need or in any other way whatsoever.
· To provide assistance to any other established charity
· To provide grants, bursaries, prizes, travel scholarship, study or research grants, books, tools, instruments, kits or any other equipment and generally any other assistance and encouragement, financially or otherwise towards the fulfilment of the foregoing objects.
Charity Status:
Active
Constitutional Form:
Trust (founding document is a deed of trust) (other than educational endowment)
Constitutional Form Date:
28 Sept 2021
Main Operating Location:
City of Edinburgh
Number of Staff:
0
Number of Volunteers:
1-50
Purposes:
"the prevention or relief of poverty", "the advancement of education", "the relief of those in need by reason of age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage"
Beneficiaries:
"Children or young people", "People with disabilities or health problems"
Types Of Activity Undertaken:
"It makes grants, donations, loans, gifts or pensions to individuals", "It makes grants, donations or gifts to organisations"
Annual Submissions:
| Year End | Income | Expenditure | Annual Return Received | Accounts Received | Latest Annual Reports and Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Jul 2022 | £0 | £0 | 23 May 2023 | Yes | |
| 31 Jul 2023 | £0 | £0 | 27 Feb 2024 | Yes | |
| 31 Jul 2024 | £0 | £0 | 29 Apr 2025 | Yes | |
| 31 Jul 2025 | £4,091,736 | £126,620 | 25 Mar 2026 | Yes | Download |
| If an annual return has been received on time (within nine months of the Year End Date), the 'Annual Return Received' box is green . If an annual return is late, the box is red . | |||||
Charity Trustees:
| First Name | Last Name |
|---|---|
| Hew | Mathewson |
| John | Macrae |
| Mark | Quinn |
| Les | Banks |
| Elizabeth | Flockhart |
| Mary | McIntosh |
| Andrew | Swann |
| Hilary | Turnbull |
| Callum | Seale |
| Katherine | Ridland |
| Graham | Walker |
| Joe | Goldblatt |
| Hamish | Wilson |
| Alexander | Lamley |
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From 09 March 2026, OSCR is required by law to publish the names of a charity’s trustees as part of its Scottish Charity Register entry. We are also required to publish each charity’s annual report and accounts as received from this date, which may include the names of certain individuals. The only exceptions to publication are where a charity or one of its charity trustees applies for this information to be excluded, and OSCR is satisfied that publishing it would jeopardise the safety or security of a person or premises.
If the charity trustee information on a Register entry appears blank, this may mean that an exemption applies or that the charity has not yet provided the required details to OSCR. Supplying this information will become mandatory as part of future annual submissions. |
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Copyright
From 30 June 2025, OSCR began collecting charity trustee information through OSCR Online. Providing this information is a legal requirement for all charities. The names of trustees will be published on the Scottish Charity Register from early 2026 to promote transparency and strengthen public trust in the sector.
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