Charitable Work

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The Maple Leaf Trust is the premier charity of the Canadian community in the UK. It is a registered charity and incorporated as the charitable arm of the Canadian Women’s Club. Proceeds of fundraising both in the UK and in Canada benefit two charities with Canada – UK links: the Veterans’ Support Committee and the Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund.

Donations to the Maple Leaf Trust can be made online via the Charities Aid Foundation website. If you’re a UK tax payer, please consider selecting Gift Aid on your donation, which will increase the value of your donation to the trust. Many thanks for your support!


The Veterans’ Support Committee (VSC) was established after the Second World War to help Canadian servicemen from both World Wars who took their discharge in the UK. Because they could not return to Canada, due to unforeseen circumstances, these veterans are ineligible for Canadian pensions and many find themselves in difficult circumstances. The VSC helps to support a number of these veterans and their wives, or widows, each year.

Currently, the VSC is assisting 60 families, each of whom receives a small monthly amount of money plus separate amounts at Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving and on the recipient’s birthday. In addition to the financial contributions, individual Committee members communicate regularly with all the families on the list. This very personal contact is hugely appreciated by the recipients and in the words of one veteran: “your cheque arrived today and thanks to you, I was able to put my heat on for the first time this winter. I am ashamed to say that I just went upstairs and even put heat on in my bedroom.”


The Canadian Centennial Scholarship Fund (CCSF) was initiated in 1967, Canada’s Centennial year. Canadian Centennial Scholarships are among the most prestigious and most sought-after scholarships for Canadians studying abroad. Candidates go through a rigorous selection process consisting of both written submission and personal interview. They are chosen not only on the basis of academic excellence but also on their ability to represent Canada in a positive light within the UK academic community.