The difference we’re making in Somerset
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2020/21 was another record-breaking year for us. In the year, we awarded over £4m of funding to local charities, community groups and social enterprises - a 71% increase on the previous year. This included:
• over £1m of grants responding to the coronavirus pandemic
• over £1.2m of grants from our Hinkley Point C Community Fund
• and almost £275k as social investments from our Somerset Social Enterprise Fund. - We’ve funded a huge range of causes, from youth projects to support for older people with dementia, and from mental health groups to foodbanks
- Many of the groups we fund are too small to be registered charities and often struggle to get funding for their vital grassroots work
- Since the Hinkley Point C (HPC) Community Fund was launched in November 2017, over £4 million grant funding has been awarded from the programmes
Grants made to organisations during 2020/21
What grantees have said about us
Find out more about the grants we've awarded
Below you can hear from some of the groups we have supported and read about the difference our generous donors have made across Somerset, through the Foundation.
Somerset Stories: Ups and Downs Southwest Somerset Stories: Stoke sub Hamdon Community Shop Somerset Stories: Cheddar Village Hall Heather Scourse tells us how a grant from The Somerset Fund is helping to sustain this important community space. Somerset Stories: Huish Tigers Somerset Stories: Shepton Mallet Ukulele Group Chairman Ray Smith told us how a grant from The Somerset Fund has helped local people living with dementia and how the group has given members a sense of purpose. Somerset Stories: Langport Dementia Action Alliance Julia Gadd tells us how funding from The Somerset Fund can help to make such difference to so many. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Reminiscence Learning They told us how a grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal for £7,000 helped them to continue providing remote support sessions for people with dementia during the outbreak. Somerset Stories: CLOWNS C.L.O.W.N.S (Creating Learning Opportunities In WesterN Somerset) provide support by delivering opportunities and activities, and encouraging families to learn, thrive, have fun and be happy. Manager Sue Shaw told us how a recent grant for £2,500 from The Somerset Fund is helping them create and deliver bespoke Family Caring Packages to vulnerable families. Somerset Stories: The Friends of the Blue Association Trust They told us how a recent grant from the Somerset Fund for £1,500 will help them improve their conservation area, which will enhance the students' experience at the school both now and for future generations to come. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Feed Avalon Somerset Stories: On Your Bike Iain Garside is the manager at On Your Bike, a project offering training to the socially disadvantaged, ex-service personnel and long-term unemployed. He spoke to us recently about the fantastic work they deliver, and how giving someone a sense of achievement can turn lives around. Somerset Stories: Purple Elephant Coronavirus Appeal Stories: St Margaret's Hospice They told us how a grant for £2,000 from our Somerset Coronavirus Appeal is helping them to provide 24-7 support to those with life-limiting illnesses. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Holly & Hawthorn Forest School They told us how their £2,800 grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal has helped them restart sessions after the coronavirus outbreak and provide free access for children from low-income households. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Fair Frome Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Minehead EYE They told us how an urgent grant for £3,000 from our Somerset Coronavirus Appeal helped them quickly adapt how they delivered their services as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Timberscombe Good Neighbours They tell us more about how they are helping the predominantly older local community in this rural Exmoor village. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Second Step They told us how an emergency grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal for £4,100 helped them to provide immediate, practical assistance to some of the most vulnerable individuals who were rough sleeping, in hostels or in temporary or supported accommodation, during the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak. Somerset Stories: Galhampton Village Hall Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Home-Start West Somerset Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Highbridge Area Foodbank Coronavirus HPC Fund Stories: Bridgwater Together Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Link Centre Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Taunton Scrubbers Somerset Stories: Taunton Open Door Coronavirus Appeal Stories: On Your Bike They told us how a £2,750 grant from our Somerset Coronavirus Appeal is helping local NHS staff to get to work. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Yeovil Community Church They told us how their £5,000 grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal has helped them support isolated and vulnerable members of the community. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Taunton & District Mencap Society They told us how a grant for £2,000 from our Somerset Coronavirus Appeal is helping the team at Taunton make sure their self-isolating service users have been able to stay in contact with each other since the lockdown began. Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Young Somerset Coronavirus Appeal Stories: Citizens Advice Mendip Coronavirus Appeal Stories: EAQ Manor Farm They told us how a grant of £1,500 from the Somerset Coronsvirus Appeal helped them to provide virtual and in-person equine therapy and equine assisted learning to ease the impacts of the lockdown.
Oliver Hellowell has Down Syndrome. Joanna Thorn, Director at Ups and Downs Southwest, tells us the inspiring story of Oliver and how he lived life to the fullest, publishing two books, featuring on a number of national television programmes and becoming an award winning photographer.
Stoke sub Hamdon Community Village Shop has become so much more than a convenience store to the villagers of the South Somerset village. Lyn Foley tells us how the community pulled together to prevent the loss of their village shop and how, shortly after they opened, it became an essential part of so many people's lives.
Cheddar Village Hall is an important central hub, used by the whole community for a wide range of activities and clubs.
Huish Tigers RFC is a brand new community rugby club, established in late 2019, right in the heart of Taunton. Richard Manning tells us how a £2,500 grant from The Somerset Fund has supported the club to help them continue building their vision.
SMUG has rapidly evolved from one ukulele enthusiast into a group that both plays to and exists for the community.
Langport Dementia Action Alliance supports people living with dementia and their carers in the Langport area.
Reminiscence Learning provides training for health care professionals, family carers, volunteers, businesses and community members, specialising in dementia care, reminiscence and activities.
In association with the Blue School, Wells, the PTA (The Friends of the Blue Association Trust) raises funds that contribute to the school and its pupils’ enrichment.
Feed Avalon runs a range of projects that help give fair access to nutritious and sustainable food, including cooking courses in their community kitchen and garden. They tell us how a Somerset Coronavirus Appeal grant has helped them to adapt their work, providing meals to people in need in the Mendip area of Somerset.
Purple Elephant runs summer holiday activities for children in Frome, helping support families in need to access support and make memories. Sue Willis, Founder of the charity, tells us more about their work.
St. Margaret's Hospice provide a range of services and support for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
Holly & Hawthorn Forest School is a community group based on the outskirts of Shepton Mallet which aims to provide children with opportunities to build confidence, new skills, and independence through positive outdoor activities.
Fair Frome are a local charity who run a food bank, alongside providing hot meals, furniture and support to people in need in Frome. They tell us how a grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal helped them respond to a huge increase in demand.
Minehead EYE is a youth and community organisation that has been working with and for young people in West Somerset since 2010.
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Timberscombe Good Neighbours was formed by volunteers in February 2020 and provides a range of community support for people in need including transport for medical appointments, collection of prescriptions, and shopping.
Second Step supports those who are experiencing poor mental health, or are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to build brighter futures.
Galhampton is a village of 450 people which describes itself as having ‘a strong and vibrant community.’ At the heart of the community was a crumbling village hall, home to a wealth of activities and services that were of huge benefit to local residents. We were delighted to make a grant to support the community as they raised an astonishing £1 million to build their fantastic new village hall.
Home-Start West Somerset offers support, friendship and practical help to families at home with children under seven in the Sedgemoor and West Somerset areas. Clare Pound, manager at the charity, told us how - with the help of a grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal - they adapted their antenatal classes for women in West Somerset to an online provision, and how it soon expanded in something much bigger.
Highbridge Area Foodbank provides food parcels to people affected by food poverty. They tell us more about how, since the outbreak of coronavirus, the group has transformed its approach, and now offers safe home deliveries.
Bridgwater Together is an annual event celebrating the town’s vibrant cultural diversity through music, food, storytelling, dance, film and information sharing. Michal Puzynski told us how they are finding new and innovative ways to ensure communities are still able to connect - even when they can’t be together.
The Link Centre is an active and popular community centre in the heart of the Halcon area of Taunton. We awarded them a £2,500 grant to provide food parcels and support to vulnerable families. They told us more about how the grant helped them change how they now support people in need, since the coronavirus outbreak.
Taunton Scrubbers are a group of volunteers who are working together to support community health workers in and around Taunton by putting their sewing skills to use. They tell us about their journey and how a £2,500 grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal has helped them support local NHS staff and health care workers.
Mark Woodcock, manager at Taunton Open Door, a homeless day shelter, told us Graham’s story: how he became homeless and the many years of support the charity provided to help him move into independent living.
On Your Bike is a social enterprise that delivers training and work placements for disadvantaged young people, giving them the skills and confidence to move into employment through recycling and repairing unwanted bikes and selling them back to the local community.
Yeovil Community Church is a hub of support for all parts of the community including families, elderly people, homeless people, those suffering with poor mental health, young people, early years and much more.
Taunton & District Mencap Society supports people with a learning disability, and their families and carers in Taunton and the surrounding area.
Young Somerset delivers youth work that is led by the young person. They tell us how a grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal helped them quickly adapt to working remotely by providing specialist online to help them continue to support young people.
Citizens Advice Mendip are a local charity providing support for people who need advice on a range of issues, including work, benefits, debt and housing. They tell us how a grant from the Somerset Coronavirus Appeal helped them respond to a huge increase in demand.
EAQ Manor Farm is an outdoor and equine-assisted learning centre that works with a wide range of people, including children, young people and adults who are overcoming isolation, exclusion and social and emotional difficulties.
