Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation

20/08/2026

🎉 Congratulations to everyone across Wiltshire and Swindon who is collecting their GCSE, BTec, and other Level 2 results today!

For some young people, today marks the start of an exciting new chapter, whether that’s continuing their studies, starting a vocational course or beginning an apprenticeship.

💚 If you know a young person affected by low income who is about to begin, or is already studying, a vocational course or apprenticeship, our Vocational Grants programme could help with some of the costs involved.

The programme provides grants of up to £1,000 towards costs such as educational resources or equipment, IT equipment, course-related study trips and, in some circumstances, travel costs.

Vocational Grants can support any vocational course or apprenticeship, whatever the subject. From business, IT and engineering to health and social care, hairdressing, beauty, cookery, plumbing and construction, the programme can support young people pursuing a wide range of different paths.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be aged 14-24 and either be in the care of Wiltshire Council or Swindon Borough Council, or have lived in Wiltshire or Swindon for at least two years and have parents or guardians who are in receipt of a means-tested benefit.

📅 Vocational Grants are currently open for applications and will close on 16 October 2026. Panel decisions for this programme will take place towards the end of November.

If you know someone who could benefit from this support, find out more about the programme by clicking below 👇

🔗 bit.ly/4g7oox3

13/08/2026

🥳 Congratulations to everyone across Wiltshire and Swindon who is collecting their Level 3 results today!

As you consider your next steps, we wanted to take this moment to remind you of our University Bursary programme, which supports young people affected by low income across Wiltshire and Swindon to access higher education.

🎓 The programme provides a £1900 bursary for each year of a first undergraduate degree course at a UK university. The bursary can help with various costs associated with a degree, such as travel expenses, books or general living expenses. They are designed to ease financial pressure so students can focus fully on their studies.

To be eligible to apply to this programme, applicants must be aged 17-24, have lived in Wiltshire or Swindon for at least two years, be eligible for student finance, and be planning to study (or already studying) for their first undergraduate degree at a UK university/institution. Applicants or their parents/guardians must also be in receipt of at least two means-tested benefits, or the applicant must be in the care of either Wiltshire Council or Swindon Borough Council.

You can currently register your interest for our University Bursary programme, for the 2027/28 academic year, on our website. The programme will reopen for applications in January 2027.

To find out more about the programme, and to register your interest, please click below 👇

🔗 bit.ly/4xDoGSf

05/08/2026

🛝 Today is , the national day celebrating the importance of play! This year's theme is 'play here, there and everywhere'.

As communities across the UK celebrate the power of play, we wanted to share that we have been selected as one of just 20 community foundations to help shape Free to Play UK, a new national initiative coordinated by UK Community Foundations in partnership with Play England.

Over the next five years, the programme will support community foundations to work alongside local organisations, communities and partners to remove barriers to outdoor play, widen access for children facing the greatest barriers, and help build a stronger, more sustainable play sector.

The programme is currently in its development phase and isn't yet open for applications, but we'll share further updates as it progresses and let you know when there are opportunities to get involved.

Read more 👇

🔗 bit.ly/45EGznB

30/07/2026

🎉 We are delighted to be celebrating a year of partnership with OCSI, which has enabled us to make Local Insight publicly available across Wiltshire and Swindon!

🗺️ The online data platform brings together over 2,000 regularly updated indicators covering topics including health, employment, education, population, inequality and the economy, which can be explored through interactive maps, dashboards and customisable reports.

Since launching as a public site last year, Local Insight has received more than 2,700 visits and is already helping voluntary and community organisations across Wiltshire and Swindon, such as Age UK Wiltshire - Let’s change how we age and Trowbridge Future, to better understand local need, strengthen funding applications, shape the services they deliver, and tell the story of their communities.

🤝 This partnership reflects our role in connecting people, organisations and resources to strengthen communities, while helping charities, community groups and funders better understand the needs and priorities of local people.

To read more about the impact that this partnership has already had, click below 👇

🔗 bit.ly/4hFougk

23/07/2026

📣 Calling all charities, voluntary and community organisations across Wiltshire and Swindon!

Grants of up to £5,000 for one year are available through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Community Action Fund.

The funding will support groups to deliver activities in line with priorities 2, 3 and 4 of the Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Plan 2025-29.

These priorities are to:
• Reduce violence and serious harm
• Tackle crimes that matter most to local communities
• Improve the experience of victims and deliver justice

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

🔗 bit.ly/4oGAmAa

⏰ Closes Monday 17 August

16/07/2026

03/07/2026

🏆 We have some news wanted to share...

Last night, Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation was proud to receive the Commitment to the Community Award at the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2026.

It's a real honour to receive this award, not just because we've been recognised, but because of what it recognises.

Community is never built by one organisation. It grows when generous people, businesses, charities, public sector partners and funders come together around a shared purpose.

That's where community foundations come in.

Community foundations are connectors. Every day, we bring together funding, partners and expertise with the charities and community organisations best placed to make a difference. We connect generosity with local knowledge, helping local solutions to grow and creating stronger, fairer and more resilient communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.

While we're incredibly honoured to receive this award, the real success story is what's happening in our communities every single day. It's the generosity of our donors and fundholders. It's the dedication of charities and community groups. It's businesses choosing to give back, volunteers giving their time, and partners working together to tackle local challenges.

We're proud to play our part in bringing those people together.

Thank you to everyone who makes those connections possible. This award is a wonderful reminder of what can be achieved when we work together.

Here's to making many more connections.

29/06/2026

Charities and community organisations across Wiltshire and Swindon are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 from Philip Wilkinson: PCC Wiltshire and Swindon 's Commissioner’s Community Action Fund.

In partnership with Wiltshire Community Foundation, the fund supports projects that help tackle crime, reduce violence, support victims and build safer, stronger communities.

From youth mentoring programmes that build confidence and resilience to specialist support for victims of crime, previous grants have made a real, lasting difference across the county.

This is a great opportunity for grassroots organisations that understand local challenges and are delivering practical solutions to improve people’s lives.

📸 Images below feature some of the projects supported by previous rounds of the Community Action Fund.

Click the link in the comments below to find out more 👇

24/06/2026

🚨 Open for applications!

The Older People's Programme has also reopened for applications this week!

The aim of this programme is to support older people to be independent, healthy, and socially included. Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 per year for one or two years are available, while grants of up to £10,000 for one year will be considered for projects with significant reach and impact.

Projects must achieve one of the following:
• Improve health and wellbeing
• Reduce social isolation
• Improve access to facilities and services

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

🔗 bit.ly/4eq7gSm

⏰ Closes Monday 21 September

23/06/2026

🚨 Open for applications!

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon Community Action Fund has opened for applications this week!

Grants of up to £5,000 for one year are available to support groups to deliver activities in line with priorities 2, 3 and 4 of the Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Plan 2025-29.

These priorities are to:
• Reduce violence and serious harm
• Tackle crimes that matter most to local communities
• Improve the experience of victims and deliver justice

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

🔗 bit.ly/4oGAmAa

⏰ Closes Monday 17 August