The Perry Foundation, a registered charity, was so named in 1970 to perpetuate the name of the late Lord Perry, first Chairman of the British Ford Motor Company and distinguished civil servant. Lord Perry shared with Henry Ford a deep interest in agricultural mechanisation and the well-being of those who worked on the land.

Lord Perry was in charge of the Boreham House estate near Chelmsford, purchased in the 1930's, where their ideas were put into practice. Fordson Estates Limited, an early initiative in worker participation, was founded at this time and based there. Boreham House became the home of the Henry Ford Institute of Agricultural Engineering and later this became The Boreham Institute of Agriculture which changed its name in 1970 to The Perry Foundation. At that time, the main objective of the Foundation became the promotion of the cause of agriculture, including research and investigative work.

On his retirement in 1946, Lord Perry maintained his interest in the Boreham House estate and the work of the then Henry Ford Institute, making further gifts of property. These assets enabled the Trustees to build up a substantial portfolio of investments. Since 1970, the Foundation has sponsored over 160 projects at Universities, Colleges and Research Institutions throughout the UK. The Foundation continually reviews its policy to meet increasing research cost, changing funding patterns and the particular problems facing agriculture.

The Foundation allocates its income between Postgraduate Scholarships and Awards, all in the areas of work outlined in this site.

The Foundations President is Scott Norris, an Essex farmer, graduate of Nottingham University and Nuffield Scholar. The Board of Trustees comprises people who have wide experience in food and farming matters with David Naylor as the Foundation's Chief Executive and Secretary. In accordance with the founder's wishes, the charity is Essex based and there is an emphasis on projects that are relevant to farming in the eastern counties.

In 2002, an initiative by former Council Member Dr Ian Macpherson, supported by Sir Don Curry, led to the establishment of the Agrifood Charities Partnership to improve the effectiveness of charities in the food and farming sectors.

Members of the Council of Management

Mr.S.J.Norris,	BSc Nuffield Scholar	a.b.President
Mr K.C.Brown,	FSI ASIP	a
Prof B. Fitt,	MA PhD DIC	b
Mr.G.P.Gent,	NDA FRAC Hon FNIAB	b
Mr.A.Q.Hitchcock,	CBE, MA, FRAgS.	a.b.
Prof G. Jellis,	BSc PhD FSB CBiol	b
Mr.A.Scott,	B Vet Med MRCVS	b
Dr.D.W.F.Shannon,	B Agr PhD DMS I	b
Gordon Bennett,	BSc FCA	Secretary