Our investment fund has a long history. The 1904 Licensing Act introduced a ‘Licensing Compensation Scheme’ which was a levy on premises licensed to sell alcohol. It aimed to reduce the number of those premises in locations where densities were considered to be high. This scheme fell into disuse after a period of time, but the fund remained.
Under the 1981 Licensing (Alcohol Education and Research) Act, half of the residual funds were used to establish the Alcohol Education and Research Council (AERC). In 2011, the AERC was wound up and Alcohol Research UK was formed to replace it, taking over the investment fund. After it merged with Alcohol Concern on 1 April 2017, Alcohol Research UK publicly changed its operating name to Alcohol Change UK on 19 November 2018.
The trustees may elect to spend the income earned on the investments and the investments themselves, but only in pursuit of the charitable objects of Alcohol Change UK: “to reduce alcohol-related harm to individuals, families and communities”.
Governments and trusts/foundations make us grants in order to undertake our work. These are often, but not exclusively, for specific purposes. For example, we currently receive a grant from the Welsh Government to support it in its work to reduce alcohol harm across Wales. We also receive a grant from the Maudsley Charity to fund our innovative Video Call Support project.
Tens of thousands of people across the UK care about reducing alcohol harm. Many of them give regular donations or send us funds raised by them by doing events and challenges. Thank you to our incredible supporters.
We work with commissioners and providers of local alcohol treatment services to further enhance the effectiveness of their services through consultancy and training. We also support employers of all types who are looking to create workplaces that are safer and healthier when it comes to alcohol, again through consultancy and training. We charge for both of these services.
We do not accept funds from the alcohol industry. The largest portion of our income comes from our investment fund, and our investment policy excludes “investment in companies that produce alcoholic beverages or tobacco as well as companies where more than 20% of sales are derived from their retail or distribution. This includes funds that permit investment in such companies. We encourage our investment managers to screen companies for ethical considerations and sustainability.”
