The Foundation
The Linder Foundation is a registered charity established by Enid Blanche Linder in 1974. It was formerly known as the Enid Linder Foundation. Grants have been provided to a wide variety of charities ranging from young people, the environment, hospices, medicine and the arts.
Since Enid Linder’s death in 1980, The Linder Foundation has continued to provide grants that support projects which bring communities together and aim to improve society for the benefit of all. Trustees seek projects that allow them to form relationships with the charities they support and to be an early stage funder for innovative and often untested projects. In other words, to provide maximum impact in marginalised communities or in areas and projects where other foundations are absent.
Historically, the Linder family has close ties to the arts, which began with Enid Linder’s brother Leslie bequeathing his collection of Beatrix Potter works to the Victoria & Albert Museum. The Foundation proudly continues to support charities which foster creativity and preserve the importance of the arts.
Today, the Linder Foundation provides grants within the themes of the Environment and Young People. In addition, and by invitation only, support is given to the Arts, Medical Electives and Hospices.
Grants are only made to UK registered charities or exempt charities. Please view our What We Fund and eligibility criteria pages for more information.
The Trustees
Johnny Fountain
Chairman
The Linder Foundation’s Chairman, Johnny Fountain has over twenty years experience in the charity sector.
His career started in the military before moving into fundraising and business development for medical research and education. He has led two successful multi-million-pound capital campaigns and has particular interest in medical research. Johnny helped establish the first national network of clinical trials centres for surgery in the UK and most recently set up and led a new clinical research centre for one of the country’s leading mental health providers. Johnny has sat on a number of charitable boards in the field of arts, education and research.
Michael Butler
Honorary Treasurer
Michael has been a trustee of the Linder Foundation since 1994 and acts as its Honorary Treasurer.
Michael is a Chartered Accountant and former audit partner at leading City and UK firm, Moore Stephens, where he specialised in providing regulatory, governance and risk management advice to clients in the insurance industry. He was the firm’s Head of Compliance and its Ethics Partner from 2010 to 2019. Michael now holds a number non executive Director roles including Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of a leading mutual marine insurance company.
Carole Cook
Trustee
Carole has been a trustee of the Linder Foundation for more than 20 years. She is a solicitor and a partner in the private client team at London law firm, Forsters LLP. She advises UK and overseas individuals and families on tax, trust, estate and succession planning and philanthropic matters.
Amanda Smith
Trustee
Amanda Smith qualified as a solicitor at City firm Freshfields and went on to specialise in employment law. She now works in business development for a major national law firm. Amanda was on the organising committee for a Midlands shopping fair for many years raising money for cancer related charities and is now helping to establish an annual carol service to fundraise for the new Maggie’s centre in Northampton. She has also sat as a Magistrate and takes an interest in early interventions and the rehabilitation of offenders.
Henrietta Buxton
Trustee
Henrietta is a partner on the family farm in Hertfordshire. She is particularly interested in conservation and biodiversity enhancement as well as restoration of the River Ash, a valuable chalk stream which runs through the heart of the farm. She set up the Ash Valley Farming Cluster, working with neighbours in the catchment to bring about positive change at landscape scale. Henrietta is an Ambassador for Hertfordshire Community Foundation raising awareness for and supporting local charities. She is a keen photographer and birder.
Hugh Elrington
Trustee
Hugh has over 35 years’ experience in the real estate industry, both in the UK and abroad. He is Managing Director of Barwood Capital, a UK regional property investment and development specialist in both commercial and residential real estate. Hugh has family connections to Audrey and Jack Ladeveze, founding Linder Trustees.
Jack and Audrey Ladeveze
Honorary President and Vice-President
Jack Ladeveze was the Foundation’s Chairman from inception, in 1974, until 2020, when he stepped down at the age of 90.
Jack is a Chartered Accountant, and chaired the Linder family company, Coubro and Scrutton Ltd, subsequently Industrial Partners Ltd. He obtained his Masters degree at the age of 88.
Audrey spent her working life in the travel industry, most of the time with Swissair, being the Manager of Swissair’s Tariff Department in the UK.
Jack and Audrey were close friends of Leslie and Enid Linder.
In recognition of their years of service and extraordinary contribution as trustees to the Linder Foundation, the trustees conferred the titles of President and Vice President of the charity to Jack and Audrey Ladeveze, respectively, in 2021. Jack and Audrey retired from the board as trustees in December 2023, but remain the honorary President and Vice President of the charity.