Our history
Sir Bernard Ashley and his wife Laura Ashley
The Ashley Family Foundation (formerly The Laura Ashley Foundation) is a registered charity founded by Sir Bernard and Laura Ashley following the success of the Laura Ashley fashion and interiors business.
Originally established in mid Wales in the 1950s, the Laura Ashley brand developed into an international retail chain. As the company grew Bernard and Laura endowed the Foundation, and in 1986 the family officially established The Laura Ashley Foundation.
The Foundation was originally set up with a focus on supporting the arts. Over time and as the running of the Foundation has been taken over by Bernard and Laura’s family, the strategy has evolved from purely funding the arts to also funding broader community and social welfare projects. It was this evolution that prompted the change of name in 2011 from The Laura Ashley Foundation to The Ashley Family Foundation.
In 2022 the Grandchildren of Bernard and Laura Ashley formed the ‘Cefndryd’ (which translates to ‘Cousins’ in Welsh), an advisory group to the Trustee Board and the next generation of Trustees. Informed by the Cefndryd’s discussions and interests, the Trustees devised and adopted a new strategy which began at the beginning of their 2024/25 financial year. The strategy now funds almost exclusively in Wales and includes a stronger focus on crafts (particularly heritage) and environmental sustainability.