The Fareham Well

29/06/2026

The Fareham Well has awarded a grant to support Key to joy's Summer Fair in August.

All are welcome to a fun-filled day out in Fareham, packed with family entertainment and activities for all ages. Enjoy a bouncy castle, children's rides, exciting circus workshops, live music, delicious food and drinks, local stalls, games, and much more. Whether you're looking for a great day out with the family or want to support a local charity, our Summer Fair promises something for everyone.

Come along, make memories, and help raise vital funds for a great cause.

All proceeds from the event will go towards Key to Joy. Unlocking the lives of adults with learning difficulties and the people that support them.

Looking for family events in Fareham this summer? Visit our Summer Fair for a fantastic day of fun, community, and fundraising. Enjoy bouncy castles, children's rides, circus skills workshops, live music, food and drink vendors, craft and charity stalls, games, and family entertainment throughout th

11/06/2026

Great to see the grant put to good use

20/03/2026

OUR HISTORY (part three) - 2010 to present day

Slowly The Well repaid its debts and with the finances on a sound footing, an application was made to the Charity Commission to change the governance structure of the charity and its purpose.

The Well is now a grant awarding body using the income generated by the rent paid on the flat and retail unit for The prevention or relief of poverty of people living in the borough of Fareham.

The retail unit on West Street is now a charity boutique shop run by Care and Relief for the Young and the flat is let through Fareham Borough Council.

While the method of delivering our charitable objects may have changed, the “new” Well remains true to the vision of its founders over 25 years ago and continues as a practical demonstration of the Christian community engaging with, and supporting, the people of Fareham.

20/03/2026

OUR HISTORY (part two) - The Well Bookshop and Cafe

Back in 2000 there was nowhere to buy Christian books locally – and most people thought “Amazon” referred to a big river in South America. As for somewhere to buy a tea or coffee – there was only one other café in the whole of Fareham, and that was at the back of BHS! Our market was therefore considered to be fairly secure.

However, over the next decade everything changed. Online shopping captured most of the book trade, cafes sprung up everywhere – and the offer of a listening ear was no longer sufficient to balance the books.

At the end of the “noughties” the shop ceased trading and the ground floor space was leased to help repay the debts. In keeping with The Well’s original vision, tenants were required to be local charities and were offered a discount on the rent as a means of contributing towards the delivery of The Well’s charitable objects.

19/03/2026

OUR HISTORY (part one) - The Beginnings

The Fareham Well started life as a Christian Bookshop and Resource Centre co-located with a café which sold fair-trade items, offered a discreet listening-ear to those in need and helped people seeking work experience to gain essential skills for their CV.

The vision for this community-based charity arose in 1997 from a series of discussions groups attended by members of Christians Together in Fareham who wanted to demonstrate that they weren’t inward-looking, concerned solely with their own churches. The best way to achieve this they concluded, was to co-operate in a practical project which would illustrate the Christian community’s engagement with, and support of, the town and its people.

The idea of acquiring a retail space quickly took root and a charity structure was established to support its delivery. The choice of the name – The Well – reflected the vision that this should be a place of physical and spiritual refreshment, safe and neutral.

Fundraising brought in donations and low / no interest loans from individuals and church communities for the purchase of two derelict shops which were soon transformed into a ground floor retail unit and a first floor, two-bedroom flat. By March 2000, the café and bookshop had opened for business on West Street.

19/03/2026

The Fareham Well is a grant-making charity established for the prevention or relief of poverty of people living in the borough of Fareham.

This purpose is delivered principally, but not exclusively, by providing grants, items and services to Christian and other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty or respond to community need.

Grants will only be awarded to organisations and cannot be made to individuals.

The grant-making process is as follows:

1. Application – which should be made using the online form. This is available on our website at www.farehamwell.org.uk/apply

2. Assessment – to determine whether the request meets the criteria of our grants. Requests that do not meet the criteria will be rejected or, at the trustees’ discretion, may be returned with a request for further information.

3. Review and recommendation – of the assessment by our Grants Committee which makes a recommendation to the trustees.

4. Decision – by a majority of the trustees. We will let you know the trustees’ decision as soon as possible after it has been taken.

5. Award and Completion of Grant Agreement.

19/03/2026

Applications for grants can now be made via our website www.farehamwell.org.uk

The deadline for submitting applications is Friday 1st May 2026, with successful awards expected to be made in early Summer.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible to ensure that the Grants Committee has all the relevant information for its consideration. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for review later in the autumn 2026.