The History of The Gallaher Trust
In 1857, local man Tom Gallaher started a tobacco business in Derry/Londonderry which eventually grew to become the fifth largest tobacco company in the world. In 2007, Gallaher was acquired by Japan Tobacco and it became part of Japan Tobacco International (JTI).
The story in Ballymena began in 1942 when Gallaher Limited opened a new manufacturing facility. Over the next 75 years, this factory played a major role in the community by providing highly skilled, well-paid jobs and generous support for local charitable causes.
Sadly, the factory closed in 2017 due to declining sales and increasing regulation. In response to the closure, and in recognition of its 75-year presence in Ballymena, JTI donated a £5 million legacy to help support the local community. This legacy is delivered through The Gallaher Trust.
The History of The Gallaher Trust
In 1857, local man Tom Gallaher started a tobacco business in Derry/Londonderry which eventually grew to become the fifth largest tobacco company in the world. In 2007, Gallaher was acquired by Japan Tobacco and it became part of Japan Tobacco International (JTI).
The story in Ballymena began in 1942 when Gallaher Limited opened a new manufacturing facility. Over the next 75 years, this factory played a major role in the community by providing highly skilled, well-paid jobs and generous support for local charitable causes.
Sadly, the factory closed in 2017 due to declining sales and increasing regulation. In response to the closure, and in recognition of its 75-year presence in Ballymena, JTI donated a £5 million legacy to help support the local community. This legacy is delivered through The Gallaher Trust.
Thanks to the JTI legacy, The Gallaher Trust expects to be able to support the Ballymena community for at least the next 10 years, by allocating circa £350,000 per annum to eligible delivery partners that are driving job creation, skills development and assisting disadvantaged adults.
The Gallaher Trust is unique in that its actions are focused solely on benefitting the Ballymena community and enriching the lives of those who live there.
The Gallaher Trust is an independent registered charity which was established by a Trust Deed in September 2017.
The work of the Trust is undertaken by the Board of Directors of Gallaher Corporate Trustee Limited in accordance with the terms of the Trust Deed.
Ian Paisley MP
Ian is a Member of Parliament for North Antrim, being first elected to this post in 2010. Before that, Ian served for 13 years in the Northern Ireland Assembly as an MLA for North Antrim and between 2007-2008, as Junior Minister in the office of First and Deputy First Minister. Ian also served for seven years as a member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. He is a published author and a columnist. Ian is the Chairman of The Gallaher Trust.
Ruth Forbes
Ruth is Inclusion Director at JTI UK, the company which founded The Gallaher Trust. In her role, Ruth has responsibility for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Employee Wellbeing, People and Culture Data Analytics, Health and Safety and Office Operations. Before working in people management, Ruth worked in positions of increasing responsibility within JTI’s Corporate Affairs Department with responsibility for the company’s community investment and environmental programmes. Ruth has a long-standing affinity to Northern Ireland, having spent time in the area as a child and having managed charitable partnerships in Belfast and Lisnafillan. Prior to joining JTI in 2011, Ruth worked in the political and charitable sectors.
James Perry MBE
James is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and has held Senior Management positions in Northern Ireland Electricity and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. He is also actively involved in a number of organisations based in the Ballymena area and was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2017 for services to the community. Additionally, James was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim in 2019.
Lauren is a freelance consultant who is passionate about people development, enhancing workplaces and organisational cultures. Until recently she enjoyed a long and successful career within Ballymena’s leading Hospitality Group.
She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development and holds professional membership of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and the International Coaching Federation.
With over 15 years’ experience at management and executive level, she has extensive operational and strategic HR and organisational development experience and has led on several large-scale bespoke L&D initiatives. Lauren has received awards from the Institute of Hospitality and the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.
Buta Atwal
Buta joins The Gallaher Trust with over 25 years’ experience in leadership, general management, sales and distribution, product design and development. With his extensive, international experience as a JCB Senior Global Executive, Buta has managed the operations of major JCB factories within Europe, North America, South Asia and Africa.
As former CEO at Bamford Bus Company, Buta was responsible for the new business start-up and turnaround, along with delivery of the world’s first Double Deck Hydrogen vehicle. Buta led the way in all aspects of the business to allow for global growth, through his strong leadership skills and emphasis on accountability and teamwork.
The Gallaher Trust is supported and administered by two key members:
Greg McKinley,
Director of Operations
Greg joined Gallaher Ltd in 1980 on an Engineering Scholarship from Queen’s University, Belfast and remained with Gallaher/Japan Tobacco International until 2017. During that time, he held a number of senior management roles including Factory Director, Continuous Improvement Director and Engineering Director. Greg was actively involved in creating and establishing The Gallaher Trust. As Director of Operations, Greg is responsible for managing the efficient operations of the Trust, including the identification, creation, and management of projects with third sector partners to meet the Trust’s objectives.
Michael Wilson,
Protector
As former Managing Partner of Elliott Duffy Garrett Solicitors, Michael has over 40 years’ experience as a solicitor, including 24 years as a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner. He specialises in regulatory and governance matters, providing strategic advice at Board level to commercial, publicly funded and charity clients. Michael is also an accredited mediator. As Protector (or Special Trustee) of the Trust, Michael’s main duty is to oversee the work of the Board of Directors of the Corporate Trustee and to protect the Trust’s property. In addition, Michael provides guidance on an ongoing basis to the Directors on governance and responsibilities as charitable trustees and on other issues that arise in the course of the Trust’s funding programmes.
To find out more about our story, watch the short video below.
Registered Charity No. NIC106498
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