29 January 2025
From acorns to oaks: Reflecting on 20 years of partnership with Summerfield Developments

Blog post
Written by Justin Sargent, CEO at SCF.
As we reach the final stages of developing our next strategy – which will guide us through to 2035 – it’s been a period of much reflection. My natural inclination has always been to run towards what’s next, what’s new, what’s different, and what’s better. I try to be open to change but, truthfully, everything we do is built on what’s gone before.
With that in mind, as I approach the 20th anniversary of my appointment as Chief Executive here at SCF, I’d like to reflect on some of the key relationships I, and my colleagues, have enjoyed. And there is nowhere better to start than with Summerfield Developments, a company that was here from the very start, even before I joined the Foundation.
At the heart of the idea of a Community Foundation is a commitment to be here for our communities today and for generations to come. This is most obviously manifested in our ambition to build a significant endowment fund – which we call our ‘Forever Fund’.
When I joined the Foundation, 2 years after its formation, the trustees at the time were, understandably, largely in start-up mode, and almost exclusively focussed on short-term goals. But crucially, from the very beginning, we had an endowment fund thanks to the vision and generosity of the Summerfield Developments, and their director, Elizabeth Williams, who was then also a trustee of the Foundation. It was only around £4k, which may not seem very much, especially for an endowment, but then an acorn doesn’t seem very large compared to a mature oak.
Of course we had a lot of other support then, as we do today, from local businesses and families – my appointment was only made possible thanks to the generosity of local companies – but looking back over almost two decades I don’t think we can underestimate the symbolic importance of that first donation into our endowment.
And perhaps it was only a family-led company that had been in business – at the time, for 180 years – that could have had that vision.
Since then we have maintained a strong relationship with Summerfield. They have made regular additional donations for number of years, and when we had our first Government-backed match funding for endowments they were amongst the first to formally commit to building their own endowment fund. By then Elizabeth had retired from our Board but Richard Lloyd, their Managing Director at the time, then joined us as a trustee. Their early commitment created the momentum we needed to, eventually, exceed our targets.
And the relationship continues. They continue to make regular contributions into their Fund, now called the Summerfield Force for Good Fund. Over £55,000 has been awarded in the lifetime of the Fund, backed by their endowment and topped up by their annual contributions.
Not only that, but the company helped us enormously last year in the refashioning of our offices, providing us with a workspace that is fit for the future. And it was such an amazing privilege to be part of their 200th anniversary in 2023 and I would not be surprised that when we enjoy our 200th anniversary at SCF, Summerfield will still be going strong!
Somerset’s economy is built on family-run, owner-managed businesses like Summerfield. Their roots run deep into our communities. And I strongly believe there is a reciprocal relationship between local charities and community groups, and these local businesses, that goes a long way beyond the transactional. Thriving communities must include a thriving economy, and local businesses need thriving communities to grow in. No-one understands this better than our friends at Summerfield.
Photo caption: Richard Lloyd from Summerfield Developments and Justin Sargent, CEO at SCF, presenting a cheque to The Daffodil Club.
Local developer lays the foundations for helping to strengthen Somerset communities
Summerfield, a long-time supporter of Somerset communities through the Summerfield Force for Good Fund, was proud to assist SCF in creating an improved workspace.