Scops Arts Trust was established in March 2019 thanks to an endowment from the late Tony Wingate.

Throughout his life, Tony enjoyed a love of the arts, particularly music, and as an inspirational English teacher, his other passion was education. Tony’s philanthropic nature led him to support a wide range of arts initiatives during his lifetime and his legacy continues through Scops Arts Trust. We chose the name Scops for two reasons: Scops is a species of owl, found in the Alps, an area Tony was very fond of; and a Scop was a medieval minstrel who performed poetry accompanied by music.

We are a small trust and award a limited number of grants each year to support high quality projects delivered by committed organisations; by doing so, we hope to contribute towards the positive impact which the arts, particularly the performing arts, can make on people’s lives.

Our grant-making is overseen by a Board of Trustees who bring considerable experience in finance, law and grant-making and they are supported by the Trust Administrator.

Tony Wingate, Benefactor