About us
Who We Are
History
The Grateful Society was founded in 1758.
- 1758 – 1870 Apprenticing poor boys
- 1820- 1912 Supporting lying-in ladies
- 1913- 2013 PROVISION OF ‘ANNUITIES’ TO IMPOVERISHED ELDERLY LADIES
- 1960-2010 Supporting residential homes for the elderly
- 2006-2009 The Great Wheels project
- 2010- Present Support to volunteer led organisations
Alongside the Anchor and Dolphin Societies, the three societies are the city’s oldest, continually active philanthropic organisations.
Like many such organisations its charitable works were based on a dinner for like-minded individuals followed by a collection. This was normally distributed as bread and money to the poor but instead the Grateful devoted the collection to apprenticing poor boys.
Gradually the charitable aims of the Grateful evolved though the precise times that the changes were made is unclear. By the second half of the 19th century the main charitable objective was to support ladies in confinement.
Improving the wellbeing and independence of older people
Today the Grateful Society works in partnership with many organisations and charities supporting vulnerable isolated and lonely older people in Bristol and the surrounding area.
Each year the Grateful, Anchor and Dolphin societies simultaneously launch a major fund-raising initiative involving the President of each Society contacting potential donors and charitable trusts. Across the three societies, this usually raises over £300,000 per annum for our charitable causes (care of older people in Bristol and surrounding areas).