The Andrew Croft Memorial Fund
Supporting adventure and research in the Arctic regions;
Supporting the police in further education and training
The Andrew Croft Memorial Fund was established in 1998 to preserve and to promote for future generations the life, spirit and hopes of Colonel Andrew Croft DSO OBE, Arctic explorer and wartime commando.
Welcome to our website for further information on Colonel Croft’s remarkable life, the Fund and its Objectives, and apply for grants.
Andrew Croft’s Life
Andrew Croft had a diverse and distinguished career as Arctic explorer, SOE agent behind the German lines during World War II and latterly as reforming Commandant both of the Plymouth-based Infantry Boys’ Battalion and thereafter the Army Apprentices School at Harrogate. Colonel Croft was invited by then Commissioner, Sir Joseph Simpson, to (re-) create a Cadet Corps for the Metropolitan Police.
For Croft, every young man had talent and could be trained to bring out the best in himself and, in due course, pass on the skills he had learned. Croft knew each man’s history; he shared their triumphs and disasters; with sympathy and insight, he imbued them with his own exemplary integrity and leadership skills.
Find out more about his varied life here.
Fund Objectives
- The advancement of education of young people below the age of thirty in such subjects which can be advanced by research and field work particularly in the Arctic by the provision of grants to such persons to enable them to participate in scientific expeditions.
- Such exclusively charitable purposes or purposes as the Trustees shall at their absolute discretion decide for the benefit of the inhabitants of Arctic communities.
- For the benefit of the public by assisting members of Her Majesty’s Constabulary with the cost of further education and training which will enhance their effectiveness within the community.
The Fund is a registered charity, number 1078106.
Applications
The Andrew Croft Memorial Fund provides grants each year for expeditions to the Arctic regions as well as other initiatives that fit within the Fund’s Objectives, at the discretion of its Trustees.
Grants are approved in March / April each year. To apply or to find out about Previous Beneficiaries, please visit the Applications page or get in touch directly if you have any questions.