The Zochonis Charitable Trust

Tackling Inequalities & creating opportunities

The Zochonis Charitable Trust (ZCT) was founded by Sir John Zochonis in 1977 to assist charities operating in the North West of England. It was funded by Sir John donating a considerable number of his own PZ Cussons shares to the Trust. The Zochonis family manages the Trust independently from PZ Cussons using dividends from its PZ Cussons shareholding to fund its charitable donations.

ZCT Donations

ZCT donates to a wide variety of charitable causes which range from national charities with operations in the North-West of England to much smaller, regional organisations which work to meet local needs and problems. The sizes of donations range from substantial sums to lesser amounts which are nonetheless very welcome.

The focus remains to support charities working in the North-West of England, although a portion goes to help charities operating in West Africa. In the main, the Trust assists young people, particularly in the spheres of education, health and social provision.

40 Years’ Worth Celebrating

2017 was the fortieth anniversary of Sir John’s Cumulative Donations 1977 – 2017 legacy. Cumulatively, ZCT donated over £55 million to charities.

Our Trustees

 

Paul Milner

Lead Trustee

Paul spent most of his working life with PZ Cussons in a variety of HR roles both in the UK and overseas. 

He retired from the post of Global HR Director in 2011 and joined ZCT later the same year, becoming the Lead Trustee upon the death of Sir John Zochonis in 2013. 

Paul was a governor of Stockport Grammar School between 2011 and 2021.

Paul Evans

Trustee

Paul obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College, London in 1986. 

He worked in Research & Development within PZ Cussons for over 32 years, leading development programmes in the U.K., Europe, Asia and Africa. 

He left the business in August 2020 with his final position as Research and Innovation Director and became a Trustee of the Zochonis Trust in July 2021.

Graham Calder

Trustee

After a successful career at Deloitte’s, Graham joined PZ Cussons as Finance Director in 1995 and was appointed Deputy Chairman in 2006. 

He became a Trustee in 1998 and worked alongside Sir John.

Sophie Hill

Trustee

Sophie Hill is a qualified Associate of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants with extensive experience in commercial finance. 

Over the course of her career, she has held a variety of roles across different businesses, including a 20-year tenure at PZ Cussons. 

In 2024, she joined the Trust and currently works as Commercial Finance Manager for a leading household essentials company, supporting operations across the UK and Ireland.

Marie Gallagher

Management Assistant

Marie has over 25 years experience with the Trust.

She starting working for Sir John Zochonis/the Trust in 2000 and worked for PZ Cussons for 20 years before that.

Marie is the main point of contact for the Trust.

Contact the trust

If you have any questions about the work of the Zochonis Charitable Trust, please contact:

Marie E Gallagher (Miss)
Management Assistant
The Zochonis Charitable Trust
Manchester Business Park
3500 Aviator Way
Manchester
M22 5TG

Email: [email protected]