Our Endowment Fund at the Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation

Our Named Endowment Fund at the Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation (W&SCF) works like a charitable trust but without the need for us to appoint trustees or handle the investments and administration  

W&SCF Named Funds are subject to a minimum investment of £5,000 and a commitment to support the W&SCF's general grant making. Funds reaching £20,000 or more, such as ours, can be used to support issues and areas of the investor's choosing. We have stated that ours is restricted for use in the Swindon area only.

We have put £22,853 in to our Fund since 2001 and the balance of our Fund at 31 March 2025 is £28,457.75.

Grants totalling more than £12,762 have been made from it since 2008.

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2025.

50th Anniversary Book
"Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation is proudly celebrating 50 incredible years of helping people to thrive across the county. This has only been possible thanks to the generosity of our donors, the dedication of our Board and staff, and the vital support of the voluntary sector, volunteers and partners."  

Grants made by our fund in the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 
 
Crimestoppers Wiltshire Volunteer Committee £100.00 
Wiltshire Crimestoppers is the local, autonomous and self-funding branch of the national Crimestoppers charity. They work in local communities to promote their anonymous reporting service and give people the tools and knowledge to report crime. The funding is being used towards outdoor event equipment and branded promotional materials to help with attending community events and raising awareness of their service. 
  
Big Breakfast Plus £100.00 
Big Breakfast Plus provide a hot cooked breakfast 7 days a week to people in Swindon who are experiencing homelessness or who are facing financial hardship and struggle to afford the cost of food. The funding helps them to continue to 
offer the service over 7 days in the face of increased demand and rising costs. 
 
Swindon Bats Sports & Social Club £100.00 
Swindon Bats is a sports and social club run for and by people with visual impairments from Swindon and the wider Wiltshire area. Their primary activity is ten pin bowling but they offer a range of other activities and one-off events for members. The funding is used towards subsidising the costs of bowling and other activities for members who are very often reliant on benefits as they may be unable to work.

Tadpole Garden Village (TGV) In Bloom £100.00 
Tadpole Garden Village (TGV) in Bloom is a relatively new group modelled on the RHS Britain in Bloom principles of Horticulture, Environment & Community. They run regular garden club meet ups, litter-picks and other events and activities for the communities in Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon. Through their activities they provide informal support to residents experiencing isolation, poor mental health and a lack of community connections. The funding is being used to contribute to the costs of running the group and to enable them to develop additional projects that support the local community. 
  
Green Shoots £150.00 
Green Shoots provides a volunteer-led gardening service for people in Swindon and surrounding areas who are on low incomes, and/or with disabilities or long term health conditions. The group brings gardens back into a manageable state so that residents can enjoy the benefits of their outside space, and helps to maintain community cohesion and harmony. The funding is towards the purchase of equipment and tools. 
  
Root and Branch Westmill £25.00 
Root and Branch Westmill provides opportunities for people with mental health disorders to engage in gardening, woodworking, blacksmithing, crafts and other skills, to help them to recover confidence, meet new people, prepare for future employment and be able to engage more fully with the wider society. The funding contributes to the core costs of running the organisation and their activities. 

Grants made by our fund – 01 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 :

The Kelly Foundation £300.00
The Kelly Foundation works in the communities of Penhill, Gorse Hill and Pinehurst in Swindon, an area of deprivation where there is inequality in accessing mental health care, to support people with poor mental health. They offer support by listening and providing practical help and advocacy. Individuals are able to access a dedicated support worker, life coach, counsellor and volunteer help. The funding is being used towards the cost of providing their mental health support services.

Swindon SEND Families Voice £300.00
Swindon SEND Families Voice provides support to families with SEND children and young people. It is a parent carer forum, listening to parents and working with external organisations to improve services. The grant is being used to fund their telephone support line, SEND sharing service where parents can loan SEND support items, SEND information packs for parents of children transitioning from nursery to school, and to provide leaflets in multiple languages as English is not the primary language of many families accessing their services.

Pinetrees Dementia Cafe £250.00
Pinetrees Dementia Cafe provides a bi-weekly social group for adults with dementia in Swindon and their carers. These sessions provide organised activities designed to stimulate and engage people with dementia, and allows their carers to connect with other carers and receive support. The grant is supporting the general running costs of the group.

The Chronic Pain Awareness Group £250.00
The Chronic Pain Awareness Group provides a weekly support and social group for people with hidden illnesses and a social media page to support those unable to attend in person. Representatives from agencies and services such as Swindon Carers and GWH Pain Clinic attend some sessions to provide information and aid with signposting. Funding is helping with the costs associated with running the group.

Swindon Big Knit £180.00
Swindon Big Knit is a knitting and crocheting group for people in Swindon. The group is beneficial for attendees, providing a safe space to share creative skills and reducing social isolation. It also provides wider community benefit as items created such as scarves, hats and blankets are donated to care homes and homeless projects. Funding is to purchase the materials required such as yarn.

The Recovery Tree Charity £100.00
The Recovery Tree run two projects to support individuals with mental health needs in Swindon. TWIGS is set in three acres of gardens, offering a range of therapeutic gardening and craft activities. The Olive Tree Café is based on the same site, providing volunteering and work opportunities for individuals with mental health needs, learning difficulties or low confidence resulting from negative life experiences. The grant is helping The Recovery Tree to fund their core costs and to continue to deliver these vital projects.

STEP Swindon £90.00
STEP Swindon provide bespoke therapeutic group work interventions for children and young people aged 7-18 years across Swindon who are experiencing isolation and exclusion. Funding is being used towards the costs of a new therapeutic group for neuro-diverse young people

Wiltshire Community Fund Website

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2024.

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2023

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2022

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2021

£2,500 presented to the Wiltshire Community Foundation to add to the Club's named fund..... 

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2020

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2019

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2018

Our Fund Statement for the year ending 31st March 2017