The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust is proud to be recently accredited as a Living Wage Funder. We have joined more than 50 other funders in committing to tackle low pay by championing the real Living Wage.
The real Living Wage is a voluntary, hourly rate of pay that is based on the actual cost of living. It is currently calculated as £12 per hour UK-wide and £13.15 per hour in London (2024 figures).
Ranging from local authorities to charitable trusts and foundations, corporate, science and capital funders, Living Wage Funders are working hard to tackle social injustice and poverty.
As part of our commitment, we encourage our grantees to ensure that all posts which are wholly or partially funded by us pay the real Living Wage (unless there are particular reasons for this not to happen). And we engage with our applicants early in the grant application process to ask them to cost up their proposals accordingly.
Fiona Weir, JRRT CEO said, “JRRT’s accreditation as a Living Wage Funder reflects our core values. As a Trust, we support organisations seeking to address imbalances of power; becoming a Living Wage Funder and encouraging all our grantees to pay the real Living Wage is a commitment that we are proud to promote.”
Organisations do not need to be accredited Living Wage Employers to apply to JRRT, but we do encourage organisations to consider whether this is a possibility for them. You can find out more about the scheme, including how to apply, on the Living Wage Foundation website.