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Our Accreditations

At the Harpur Trust our mission is to nurture potential and improve people’s lives. We’re very proud of our achievements at The Harpur Trust in the development of our people.

Our Accreditations

We are an ILM Approved Centre for delivering Leadership and Management Programmes, leading to the achievement of Level 5 Award in Leadership and Management.

In 2023 we were finalists in the prestigious CIPD People Management Awards for our in-house leadership and management training programmes, which make such a positive difference to our organisation and its people.

We were also shortlisted for the Investors In People Award for Best Learning and Development. In reaching the shortlist, our dedication to the learning and development of staff has been recognised by Investors In People, whose focus is on improving working lives.

In 2022 we signed the Armed Forces Covenant and secured the Silver Employers Award. This award confirms our commitment to support the Armed Forces Community. We actively promote recruitment opportunities to regular, reservists, veterans and families and recognise the skills, qualifications, and contribution that they can bring to our organisation. It is also our policy to support reservists within The Trust by providing time off to undertake reservist activities.

In 2021 we were awarded The Bronze Payroll Giving Quality Mark, to signify our commitment to workplace philanthropy as we encourage employees to contribute to charitable causes through their payroll deductions.

 

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Our History

SIR WILLIAM HARPUR’S VISION

The Harpur Trust was founded over 450 years ago by Sir William Harpur, a local man born to humble beginnings who made his fortune as a merchant tailor and became Lord Mayor of London in 1561.

Today our activities are still inspired by Sir William Harpur’s vision. He understood the value of education, and he saw what needed to be addressed to support the people in his hometown of Bedford.

 

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Featured News

09 Apr 2025

The Harpur Trust welcomes Universal Studios, the new largest non-state employer in Bedford

04 Apr 2025

Teachers from across Bedford Borough explored what makes a quality Early Years environment

13 Mar 2025

Applications open for university bursaries to help local students afford to study a degree