Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation passes £30 million grantmaking milestone

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation has now awarded more than £30 million in grants, marking a major milestone in its 51-year history and reflecting the generosity of local people and organisations who have helped strengthen communities across Wiltshire and Swindon for more than five decades.

Founded in 1975 by Lord Joel Joffe and Moyra James as the first community foundation in Europe, the Foundation connects local people, businesses, professional advisers, charitable trusts and public sector partners with the causes and communities they care about.

Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than 10,000 grants to local charities, community groups and individuals. This funding has supported organisations responding to changing local needs, including tackling poverty, improving health and wellbeing, reducing isolation, supporting people experiencing domestic abuse and creating opportunities for children and young people.

The £30 million milestone was reached during this year’s round of the Foundation’s University Bursary Programme, which awarded £399,950 to support 71 local young people from low-income backgrounds to access higher education. Alongside bursaries, the Foundation supports young people into vocational training and helps aspiring young entrepreneurs take their first steps in business.

Last year alone, the Foundation awarded more than £2.5 million through 367 grants, supporting 217 organisations and 150 individuals. More than 83,000 people across Wiltshire and Swindon benefited from the work supported.

The pace of grantmaking has increased significantly in recent years. It took the Foundation 40 years to award its first £10 million. The £20 million milestone followed seven years later, with the total passing £30 million just over four years after that.

Alongside the £30 million awarded in grants, the Foundation has built an endowment now worth almost £32 million, helping to provide long-term support for communities across Wiltshire and Swindon. Much of the endowment is held in funds established to support particular causes, communities or areas, reflecting the wishes of the donors who created them.

The endowment is an important part of the Foundation’s long-term approach, but it does not remove the need to raise significant funds each year. Continued giving from local people, businesses, charitable trusts and partners enables the Foundation to respond to emerging and changing needs and provide funding where it can make the greatest difference.

Reflecting on the milestone, Joint Chief Executive Vicky Hickey said: “Passing £30 million in grantmaking is a significant milestone for us, but what really matters is what that £30 million has made possible for people and communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.

“For more than 50 years, local people, businesses and partners have chosen to give through the Foundation because they want to make a difference where they live. Our role is to connect that generosity with the local charities, community organisations and voluntary groups that understand their communities and are creating change every day.

“Reaching £30 million shows what local generosity can achieve, but there is still so much more to do. The needs of our communities continue to change and we need people and organisations to continue giving alongside us so that we can respond to those needs, both now and in the years ahead.”

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is part of a wider network of 47 accredited community foundations across the UK, which have collectively awarded more than £2 billion in grants to support local communities.

To find out more about Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation, including how to give locally or access funding and support, visit: https://www.wscf.org.uk/