28 November 2024
Local developer lays the foundations for helping to strengthen Somerset communities

James Holyday, Managing Director and Richard Lloyd, Chair at Summerfield Developments (SW) were delighted to declare Somerset Community Foundation’s (SCF) new office refurbishment officially open, at a recent visit.
Mary Hancock, Operations Director at SCF said: “I invited numerous local contractors to bid for the work, but with a rise in demand post-covid, I struggled to find anyone able to undertake the work. However, Summerfield came to our aid, completing the improvements on time and to the highest quality, with minimum disruption.”
Summerfield have a long history of giving back to the Somerset communities where their clients and team live and work. They do this through their Summerfield Force for Good Fund, managed by grant-making charity Somerset Community Foundation.
James Holyday explained: “With Somerset Community Foundation’s guidance we’ve been able to support local communities through our Summerfield Force for Good Fund for over 14 years. It was our absolute pleasure to be able to return the favour and lend our own expertise when the time came for them to renovate their office.”
Mary continued: “It was an absolute joy to work with Summerfield. And our office, which is located on the Bath and West Showground near Shepton Mallet, is now a much more welcoming place, and can easily accommodate the recent growth in our team.”
The Summerfield Force for Good Fund was first set up in 2010, and since then SCF has awarded almost £50,000 in grants to 24 local charities and community groups through the Fund, improving the lives of over 10,000 people living in Taunton and surrounding villages. The funding includes committing to support 2 local charities, North Town Partnership and The Albemarle Centre, both based in the Taunton area, with 3 years of flexible funding totalling £30,000 to support their ongoing community work, as part of their 200th year celebrations.
SCF, now in its 22nd year, has grown considerably in size, and in doing so has been able to award more funding to the community groups and charities it supports.
Mary Hancock explained: “As our charity has grown so has the need for office space. With Summerfield’s generous help, we’ve been able to redesign the layout of the building to accommodate the growth in staff numbers as well as the number of grants panel meetings that take place each year.
“We’re extremely pleased with the new look office. It offers a much more welcoming and comfortable environment and can now accommodate the increase in the number of staff and volunteers working so hard to award more funding to communities across Somerset.”
This year SCF awarded over £4 million to 421 local organisations and 391 individuals. The Foundation remains dedicated to inspiring philanthropy in the county so local communities can drive change and realise their dreams.
Whether you’re an individual, business, a charity or a charitable trust, Somerset Community Foundation can help you make real and lasting change in Somerset. Get in touch with SCF at their new, improved office to discuss how they can help. Visit www.somerstcf.org.uk or give them a call on 01749 344949.
Photo Caption: Left to right: James Holyday, Managing Director at Summerfield Developments; Mary Hancock, Operations Director at Somerset Community Foundation (SCF); Richard Lloyd, Chair at Summerfield Developments; and Fiona Foster, Senior Philanthropy Director at SCF, at the newly refurbished offices.