Wiltshire Community Foundation

Wiltshire Community Foundation Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation - connecting people who care with causes that matter

🗣️ “I believe that people with lived experiences can bring a more detailed perspective to conversations about education ...
03/06/2026

🗣️ “I believe that people with lived experiences can bring a more detailed perspective to conversations about education and opportunity.”

🎓 Judetta Whyte received a University Bursary from us in 2021 to study Law at Durham University. Following her graduation in 2024, she is now currently studying the LLM Barristers Training Course at Nottingham Trent University.

An aspiring barrister, Judetta recently joined our education grants panel and has already played an important role in supporting young people who are in a similar position to the one she was in just a few years ago.

Speaking about why she wanted to volunteer at the Foundation Judetta said: “I wanted to join the education grants panel to make a difference in young people’s education and to offer them an adequate chance of developing their talents through further education.

“Supporting young people through education is important to me as I believe that education is such a vital gift and a valuable tool within society. I also believe that we all have many different skills and knowledge to enhance society. Therefore, supporting young people through education ensures that they gain the invaluable resources to flourish and to truly showcase their own passions to make the world a better place.

“I was interested in volunteering with Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation as I wanted to utilise my interpersonal skills in a practical environment whilst formulating connections with others. I also wanted to make an active contribution towards helping others to receive the financial benefits within education that they deserve.

“Having been a recipient of the grant in the past, I am aware of the significant impact it has on individuals’ lives and I wanted to offer my own contribution to society by also helping people in need of financial support for education.”

Judetta’s lived experience brings valuable insight and understanding to our decision-making process, and helps to ensure that our funding decisions are thoughtful, fair and rooted in the realities facing local young people today.

👏 Thank you, Judetta, for generously giving your time to support young people across Wiltshire and Swindon.

🙌 As we continue our celebrations, we’re taking a closer look at some of the volunteers who generously give up their t...
02/06/2026

🙌 As we continue our celebrations, we’re taking a closer look at some of the volunteers who generously give up their time to enable us to connect people who care with causes that matter.

🌟 Among them are the remarkable volunteers who sit on our grants panels, working alongside staff and trustees to assess applications, inform funding decisions and help direct support where it can make the greatest difference in our communities.

Last year, we were delighted to welcome several new members to our education grants panels, supporting decision-making across our University Bursaries and Vocational Grants programmes. What made this moment especially meaningful was that some of these individuals had previously received support from the very programmes they now help to shape.

💚 Their lived experience brings invaluable perspective, insight and understanding to our discussions and decision-making, helping to ensure that funding decisions are thoughtful, fair and rooted in the realities facing local young people, as they look to take their next steps.

Over the next couple of days, we will be shining a spotlight on two of these new panel members, sharing their stories and celebrating the valuable role they now play in supporting the next generation of young people to achieve their goals.

👏 It's Volunteers' Week, and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of people across Wiltshire and Sw...
01/06/2026

👏 It's Volunteers' Week, and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of people across Wiltshire and Swindon who generously give their time to support local charities, voluntary groups and community organisations.

Volunteers are the backbone of our voluntary and community sector.

Whether they are running community cafés, supporting young people, helping at food banks, leading sports clubs, sitting on charity boards or organising local events, their contribution helps strengthen communities and improve lives every day.

🫶 As a community foundation, we see first-hand the difference volunteers make through the organisations and projects we support. Their commitment, compassion and dedication are at the heart of so much of the work happening across Wiltshire and Swindon.

We are also incredibly grateful to the volunteers who support Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation itself. From Trustees and grants panel members to others who generously share their time, experience and expertise, they help guide, inform and strengthen our work, ensuring we remain connected to the communities we serve and that funding reaches where it can make the greatest difference.

Throughout this week, we'll be shining a spotlight on some of the volunteers who support the Foundation and sharing a little more about the important role they play.

💚 To all those who volunteer across Wiltshire and Swindon – thank you.

📣 Calling all VCSE organisations in Wiltshire and Swindon!Are you looking to boost your funding opportunities and grow y...
22/05/2026

📣 Calling all VCSE organisations in Wiltshire and Swindon!

Are you looking to boost your funding opportunities and grow your network? Would you like to hear directly from funders about upcoming grant programmes and their priorities?

Join us at June’s in-person Meet the Funder event in Swindon, which will bring together key organisations from the Wiltshire and Swindon Funders Network for an afternoon of insight, discussion and networking.

This free event offers local voluntary and community groups the opportunity to:
👂 Hear directly from funders about future funding opportunities and priorities
🗣️ Take part in informal roundtable discussions
❓ Ask questions and share ideas
🤝 Build relationships and strengthen partnerships across the sector

Whether you are looking to develop new projects, strengthen partnerships or better understand the funding landscape, this session is a fantastic chance to connect, learn and prepare for future opportunities.

Event details:
🗓️ Date: 24 June 2026
⏰ Time: 12:30pm-4:30pm
📍 Venue: Buckhurst Park Community Centre, Swindon, SN3 3BS
🎟️ Admission: Free

Confirmed Funders:
✅ The National Lottery Community Fund
✅ Arts Council England
✅ Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation
✅ SNG - Sovereign Network Group
✅ National Benevolent Charity

To find out more about this event, and to book your place today, please click below 👇
🔗 bit.ly/3RqUQR1

This event has been organised jointly by ourselves, as hosts of the Network, and Voluntary Action Swindon (VAS).

📗 New research published this week by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) explores the links between charitable giving, c...
21/05/2026

📗 New research published this week by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) explores the links between charitable giving, community engagement and people’s connection to the places where they live.

The UK Local Giving Report 2026, supported by UK Community Foundations, was based on over 12,000 survey responses from individuals across the UK.

For community foundations, much of what the report highlights will feel very familiar, that connection matters.

Across Wiltshire and Swindon, we see every day how local charities, volunteers, community groups and donors help strengthen communities and encourage people to get involved in local life.

We also see how people are often most motivated to support causes when they can see the difference being made around them and feel connected to the communities they are part of.

🗣️ Reflecting on the findings, our Joint Chief Executive Fiona Oliver said: “This report reinforces something that community foundations have long understood — that people are more likely to give, volunteer and support their communities when they can see the impact being made around them, trust the organisations working locally and feel part of the communities where they live and work.”

To read more, and to access a link to the full report, click below 👇
🔗 bit.ly/42PFjg9

🚨 ONE WEEK LEFT!🌱 This is the last week for applications towards the Wessex Water Environment Fund.The Environment Fund ...
11/05/2026

🚨 ONE WEEK LEFT!

🌱 This is the last week for applications towards the Wessex Water Environment Fund.

The Environment Fund supports charitable and community activities across the Wessex Water region that improve local biodiversity or have a positive impact on the environment for local people.

The programme prioritises:
• Reducing water use
• Improving environmental sustainability in the local area
• Improving local biodiversity

💚 This programme targeted at organisations where a small amount of money can make a significant difference. Schools and parish councils may also apply if they can demonstrate a community benefit.

For more information about the programme, and to read the full eligibility criteria, please click below 👇

🔗 bit.ly/4sFJVkd

⏰ Closes at 11am on Monday 18 May.

🤝 We were delighted be in attendance at County Hall in Trowbridge last week, to witness the signing of the 2026–2029 Vol...
08/05/2026

🤝 We were delighted be in attendance at County Hall in Trowbridge last week, to witness the signing of the 2026–2029 Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector and Wiltshire Council Partnership Framework.

The purpose of the framework is to set out a renewed commitment to partnership working, focused on improving the lives of people across Wiltshire.

For more details, please click below 👇

🔗 bit.ly/3QXlNM3

Our Wiltshire Community First - Wiltshire & Swindon Wessex Community Action Age UK Wiltshire - Let’s change how we age Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

🎉 It’s our anniversary!Okay, so 51 might not be quite as glamorous as the big 5-0… there are no giant gold numbers, no h...
06/05/2026

🎉 It’s our anniversary!

Okay, so 51 might not be quite as glamorous as the big 5-0… there are no giant gold numbers, no huge celebrations, and sadly no royal visit this time — but it’s still a milestone we’re really proud of!

🌟 Because it represents something really special: 51 years of community foundations across the UK and Europe connecting and supporting local people and places.

And it all started with us!

Of course, milestone anniversaries are important. But what really matters is what continues to happen year after year in our communities — and the difference that can be made when people come together to support local needs.

And if the past year has shown us anything, it’s just how important the role of community foundations continues to be.

💚 Across Wiltshire and Swindon, we’ve supported local voluntary and community organisations through our grant programmes, funding projects that respond directly to pressing and changing local needs. Through our grants to individuals, we’ve also continued to support young people across the county to access education and pursue vocational and entrepreneurial opportunities.

It’s also been a privilege to work alongside local people and businesses who want to give back to their communities. By inspiring philanthropy and connecting people who care with causes that matter, we’re able to make a meaningful difference together.

Alongside this, we’ve worked closely with partners and local authorities over the past twelve months, bringing people together to share ideas, learn from one another, and strengthen support across our communities.

It’s this collective effort that makes community foundations so powerful.

🙌 Here’s to 51 years of local impact — and to continuing that work together.

Over the past 49 weeks, has highlighted just a snapshot of the moments, relationships and work that have helped shape ...
01/05/2026

Over the past 49 weeks, has highlighted just a snapshot of the moments, relationships and work that have helped shape our history so far. But behind every milestone achieved over the last five decades is something much bigger, a community of people who care.

💚 So, for this final , and to wrap up the series, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped us connect people who care with causes that matter.

🌟 From the remarkable voluntary and community organisations responding to ever-changing need across the county, to our fundholders, partners and local authorities, you are the reason this work exists and continues to grow.

We are simply the connectors, a role we are privileged to play. But it is you who enable us to respond to local need, both now and for the long term. That collective effort has shaped our past and continues to define our future.

👏 And to everyone who has represented the Foundation over the years; our staff, volunteers, Trustees and Patrons, thank you. Your care, time and leadership help shape our direction, champion our work, and ensure we stay true to our purpose.

🤝 Together, we have distributed over £26.8m in grants, supported tens of thousands of local people, and grown an endowment of more than £30 million to benefit our communities now and for generations to come.

Behind these figures are thousands of stories; young people able to pursue education or employment, communities coming together to tackle loneliness and isolation, and organisations supporting mental health, addressing inequity, improving our environment and strengthening the places we all call home.

This is not the end of our story. As we look ahead, we will continue to listen, learn and build on what we have achieved together, supporting stronger, more connected communities.

🙌 Thank you for being part of our story so far... and for everything that comes next.

💚 As we approach the final weeks of our series, we wanted to take a moment to shine a spotlight the beating heart of t...
23/04/2026

💚 As we approach the final weeks of our series, we wanted to take a moment to shine a spotlight the beating heart of the Foundation over the past 50 years, our remarkable staff team.

From humble beginnings in Swindon in 1975, the Foundation has grown to become one of the largest grant-giving organisations across Wiltshire and Swindon. But behind every grant awarded, every partnership built, every connection established, and every life changed, are a team of dedicated people working tirelessly to make it happen.

Over the past 50 years, we grew from the early vision of Lord Joel Joffe and Moyra James, who laid the foundations (pun intended!) in establishing the first community foundation in the UK and Europe, to a small but dedicated team of three in the 1990s, and into the 18 colleagues who make up our team today. And as we have grown and evolved over the past five decades, our staff have always been at the heart of making our work possible.

🤝 They are the ones building trusted relationships with donors, supporting local organisations, assessing and supporting grant applications, building partnerships, establishing internal policies and culture, managing our finances, all helping us in responding to the ever-changing needs of our communities. Much of this work happens behind the scenes, but its impact is later felt throughout communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.

🙌 More recently, we’ve also been delighted to welcome two new members to our team, who are already bringing fresh perspectives and energy and helping to shape the next chapter of our story.

It’s thanks to their dedication, care, and belief in what we do, which enables us to continue changing lives across Wiltshire and Swindon, by connecting people who care with causes that matter.

👏 So today, we say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been part of the Foundation’s staff team over the past 50 years. Your work has made, and continues to make, a lasting difference.



📸 Our team at our 50th anniversary celebration last year, and two photos taken from our 1992/93 annual review - featuring our three members of staff.

Address

Sandcliff House, 21 Northgate Street
Devizes
SN101JT

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441380729284

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