Congleton Inclosure Trust

18/05/2026

Grant Spotlight

The Congleton Inclosure Trust was delighted to award a grant to Congleton Musical Theatre (CMT) in support of their recent production of Little Shop of Horrors.

The grant helped fund a life-size puppet of the musical’s iconic man-eating plant, enabling CMT to deliver a high-quality and memorable production for local audiences.

CMT has been an important part of the Congleton community since 1932, bringing professional-style musical productions to the town year after year. Thanks to this funding, the group can continue to build secure and sustainable productions for the future.

The project supported:
10 cast members
15 volunteers, committee members, designers and producers behind the scenes
Around 1,100 audience members from the local community

We are proud to support local organisations that bring creativity, entertainment and community spirit to Congleton.

Well done to everyone involved at Congleton Musical Theatre!

06/05/2026

Supporting children through play

At Congleton Inclosure Trust, we are very pleased to have recently awarded a grant to Dougie Mac, helping to support young children through specialised play activities.

The funding has enabled a range of engaging experiences. The play team at Dougie Mac ensure there is always something fun to do, whether one-to-one or in a group. Every activity is carefully adapted so each child can fully engage, express themselves, and thrive. Sessions can often get wonderfully messy too, with lots of paint and glitter involved!

Their team is Makaton trained and uses a variety of communication methods to ensure every child’s voice is heard and valued.

A parent shared:
“It’s such a fun place. There’s so many exciting things to do. It’s like a little holiday for her. She cries when she has to leave.”

The photos show Aisha and Oscar enjoying just some of the amazing opportunities made possible through this support.

Together, we’re creating inclusive spaces where every child can play, learn, and flourish.

30/04/2026

We were delighted to recently award a grant to Congleton Bath House and Physic Garden, supporting their exciting new Garden Stories project 🌿

Two of our trustees, John Davies and Brenda Cook, had the pleasure of visiting the garden to present the cheque in person, meeting with trustees and volunteers and seeing first-hand the fantastic work taking place in this unique community space.

This summer, the Garden Stories project will bring the site’s rich history to life through a family-friendly programme of storytelling, games, and hands-on activities running at weekends. It’s a wonderful way to connect people of all ages with Congleton’s heritage in a fun and engaging way.

The project is now looking for volunteers to get involved, whether that’s helping to research the site’s history, developing creative activities, or supporting the programme in the garden. No previous experience is needed, and full training will be provided.

We’re proud to support initiatives like this that bring our community together and celebrate local history.

If you’d like to get involved, visit their website to find out more and apply. https://congletonbhpg.co.uk/

20/04/2026

We’re pleased to share that the January grant awards from The Inclosure Trust have been allocated to a fantastic range of local projects:

✨ Friends for Leisure – support for a project worker
✨ Congleton Building Preservation Trust – support for an educational programme
✨ Electric Picture House – school holiday workshops
✨ Barnswood Scout Camp – maintenance equipment

It’s great to see such a variety of initiatives benefiting from these grants, all contributing to our community in different ways.

We’re looking forward to our next meeting at the end of April to hear how these projects are progressing and to review the next round of applications.

Thank you to everyone involved!

17/11/2025

Congratulations to Our Latest Grant Recipients!

The Congleton Inclosure Trust is delighted to announce the successful recipients of our latest round of community grants. Each of these groups is doing incredible work to support, entertain, and bring people together across our town:

This Quarter’s Funded Projects:
• New Life Church – Replacement chairs
• No Tier Snooker – Support for their dementia-friendly project for men
• The Green Tree House – Support for their social supermarket
• Congleton Musical Theatre – Support for their winter performance
• All Saints Church – Wellbeing sessions in the Chappell Centre
• Congleton Community Choir – Singing workshops
• Congleton Bowling Club – Improvements to facilities

A huge well done to all recipients — we wish your projects every success and look forward to seeing the positive impact they bring to our community.

Next Round of Grants:
The next funding round will take place in January, and all new applications must be submitted before the end of December.

To find out more about who can apply and to submit an application, please visit

17/11/2025

Congleton Rugby Club Redevelopment

The Congleton Inclosure Trust is proud to have supported Congleton Rugby Club with a grant towards its impressive five-year redevelopment project — a major investment in one of the town’s oldest and most iconic sporting institutions.

Club members, volunteers and supporters gathered to celebrate the completion of the refurbishment, which most recently included the construction of brand-new toilet facilities. The event was marked with a ribbon-cutting by Town Mayor Cllr Robert Brittain, club legend Alison Williams, and Club President John Gallimore.

The project—costing around £200,000 and delivered in three phases—has transformed the club with a new bar and meeting room, upgraded changing rooms, and modern, inclusive facilities for all ages and genders. During the work, a fascinating piece of Congleton history was uncovered: a 19.5ft hidden well beneath the building, now turned into a unique feature in the men’s toilets!

Chairman Jeremy Lea shared how the improvements are already helping the club grow, with two strong senior sides, a thriving youth section from under-sixes to under-14s, and an increasingly welcoming community atmosphere for players and visitors alike.

We are delighted that our funding played a part in supporting this much-loved local club.

Congratulations to everyone at Congleton Rugby Club — volunteers, players, members and supporters — for your hard work, vision and dedication.
It's fantastic to see the club thriving and continuing to be a place that brings our community together. 🖤💛

07/10/2025

🚴‍♀️ Did you catch the BBC article on the Beartown Rickshaw?

Thanks to the support of the Congleton Inclosure Trust, the National Lottery, and Congleton Town Trust, Ant and Liz Bolding have been giving care home residents the joy of the great outdoors—one rickshaw ride at a time! Four years, 28 volunteers, and countless smiles later, their weekly rides now reach seven care homes and two day centres. Residents explore Congleton, enjoy nature, and share stories, while volunteers experience the joy of brightening someone’s day. It’s an incredible way to make a real difference in our town, and we couldn’t be prouder to have helped bring it to life!
Read the full BBC story here:

Ant and Liz Bolding spent £11,000 on a rickshaw to offer free rides for elderly residents in their community.

25/09/2025

🎶 Supporting Young Musicians in Congleton 🎶

Congleton Inclosure Trust was delighted to award a grant to Congleton Youth Orchestra to support its wonderful summer concert at Congleton Town Hall. 🌟

The orchestra provides musical education to young people aged 7–15 from across Congleton, giving them the chance to learn, grow, and perform for the public.

👏 Well done to all the young musicians who took part — your hard work and talent shone through!

You can find out more about the orchestra here: congleton-youth-orchestra.org

There are just a few days left to apply for our next round of grants. Submissions close on 30th September 2025, with decisions made at the end of October.

12/09/2025

🌟 Thank you to the Inclosure Trust! 🌟

SOL is extremely grateful to have received a grant from the Inclosure Trust, enabling us to offer full or partial grants to students who might otherwise be unable to attend. The students love spending two weeks with us and performing, and we love being able to make this experience possible — thanks to the generous support of the Inclosure Trust. 🎭

https://www.facebook.com/SOLTheatreSchool

12/09/2025

🎉 Congratulations to our latest grant recipients! 🎉

The Congleton Inclosure Trust is delighted to support a wide range of local projects through our most recent round of community funding. Well done to the successful organisations – we can’t wait to see your projects come to life!

Grants were awarded to:
🏉 Congleton Rugby Football Club – Phase two refurbishment
💜 East Cheshire Hospice – PACE (Palliative Advice Centre East) support
🎭 SOL Theatre Company – Support for young people’s fees
🌟 Starr in the Community – Support for 95 children to attend Circus Starr
💚 Douglas MacMillan – Children’s hospice support
🏛️ Congleton Museum Trust – Archive to Access project
🎙️ Congleton Talking Newspaper – Recording studio improvements
🎶 Trinity Operatic Society – Support for the September performance

We hope all these projects are progressing well and making a positive impact across our community!

🗓️ Next round of grant applications will be decided at the end of October, with submissions closing 30th September 2025. Don’t miss your chance to apply and bring more inspiring projects to life!

Find out more and see how to apply:
👉 www.congletoninclosuretrust.org.uk