Shaftesbury Charitable Trust

18/10/2026

We’re delighted to support a new local majorette troupe as they take their first steps on an exciting journey! 💖

It’s wonderful to see local groups getting the support they need to bring their ideas to life and create new opportunities within our community.

We wish Opalite Twirlers every success as they get up and running and look forward to seeing them in action! 💃✨

💖✨ **A HUGE THANK YOU!** ✨💖

We would like to say a massive thank you to **Shaftesbury Charitable Trust** for awarding us a grant to help get our majorette troupe up and running! 💃🎀

Your kindness and generosity mean so much to us and will help us turn our dream into reality. We are truly grateful for your support! ❤️

**Thank you for helping us get started on this exciting journey!** 💖

Shaftesbury Charitable Trust

🎀

18/10/2026

💙 Making a difference for young carers in Shaftesbury 💙

We were delighted to receive a report from MYTIME Young Carers highlighting the positive impact our funding has made in helping more young carers in the Shaftesbury area access their Making Memories programme.

In March 2026, 44 young carers enjoyed a special activity day at Mill on the Brue in Somerset, taking part in team-building challenges, climbing, an assault course and plenty of opportunities to make new friends.

These experiences are about so much more than a day out. For young people who often face additional pressures, stress and isolation because of their caring responsibilities, they provide a valuable opportunity to have fun, build confidence and resilience, strengthen friendships and simply enjoy being young.

One young carer who arrived feeling nervous and unsure of himself left the day beaming with pride, having conquered activities he initially felt uncomfortable trying and made lots of new friends.

We are proud that our funding has helped create these meaningful opportunities, reminding young carers that they are not alone.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone at MYTIME Young Carers involved in making this possible.

Discover how MYTIME transforms young carers’ lives through support, opportunities, and community. Join us in levelling the playing field for every young carer in the UK.

04/10/2026

Congratulations to the team at Shaftesbury Abbey Museum & Gardens 🏅

04/10/2026

29/09/2026

📜 On this day 38 years ago…

The Declaration of Trust for the Shaftesbury Charitable Trust is dated 29 September 1988, marking an important moment in the Trust’s history.

The Trust grew from the campaign to restore Gold Hill and was established for the benefit of Shaftesbury and its community.

We’re proud to continue that legacy today by supporting local causes and organisations across our town.

Do you recognise anyone in this photo? It was taken just five years later, in 1993.

📷 Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, 1993 — Stephen McKay / Wikimedia Commons — CC BY-SA 2.0

19/09/2026

📣 Calling all local community groups, charities, societies and not-for-profit organisations!

Have you got a project or idea that could benefit Shaftesbury?

Make that dream a reality! ✨

Grant applications are always open. Get your application form in by Monday 5th October to be considered at our next Trustees’ meeting.

👉 https://www.shaftesburycharitabletrust.org/grant-request

15/09/2026

Not long to go... Shaftesbury Carnival is on Saturday 3rd October and you won't want to miss it!

🎉 NEW TO SHAFTESBURY? THEN YOU’RE IN FOR A TREAT! 🎉

If you’ve recently moved to Shaftesbury, you might have heard people talking about Shaftesbury Carnival and wondered what all the fuss is about… 👀

Well, get ready! 🥳

Every year, the town comes alive with colour, music, dancing, floats, costumes, entertainment and plenty of community spirit! 🎺🎶🎭

But Carnival isn’t just a parade…

❤️ It’s about the community coming together
🎉 It’s about seeing the streets packed with people
🚜 It’s about the amazing floats and walking groups
🎵 It’s about music, dancing and having a brilliant time
💰 And most importantly, it’s about raising money for local charities and good causes

If you’re new to Shaftesbury, don’t worry… you don’t need to know anyone, you don’t need to be involved in a group and you certainly don’t need to know what’s going on! 😂

Just come along, find a spot, bring the family, join in with the atmosphere and experience one of Shaftesbury’s biggest community celebrations! 🎊

And be warned… once you’ve experienced your first Carnival, you’ll probably find yourself saying:

“Right… what can WE do next year?” 😆

👀 Carnival is getting closer!
Keep your eyes peeled on the Shaftesbury Carnival social media pages for all the latest events, announcements and ways you can get involved.

🎉 WELCOME TO SHAFTESBURY — WELCOME TO CARNIVAL! 🎉

15/09/2026

1,100+ years of Shaftesbury. 💚

Our town’s story goes back to the late 9th century, when King Alfred established a fortified settlement here.

At the start of the 14th century, Shaftesbury was the most populous town in Dorset, with 12 parish churches serving its community.

That’s a history worth preserving.
And a community worth investing in.

25/08/2026

£1,000 to spend on Shaftesbury. What would you do with it? 💷

Imagine we handed you a cheque for £1,000 and asked you to spend it on something that would make a difference in Shaftesbury.

What would you do?

Perhaps you’d put it towards something for young people, our green spaces, a historic resortation project, sport, arts or community activities? Or maybe there’s something completely different that you think our town needs?

We’re genuinely interested in what you think.

As Trustees, we spend a lot of time hearing from local groups and organisations about the things they’re doing and the challenges they face. But we’d also like to hear from the wider community.

So, if that £1,000 cheque was yours, what would you spend it on?

We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments 👇

20/08/2026

Dear Shaftesbury,

We thought it was time to tell you something...

We love you 💙

You’re not perfect, Shaftesbury, and we wouldn’t want you to be.

You’re a town of steep hills and old cobbles, big views and small streets, familiar faces and stories that have been passed down through generations. You have your traditions, your quirks and some wonderfully eccentric moments.

And somehow, it all comes together to make you the place we’re proud to call home.

But what we love most about you is your people.

The people who give up their time to run clubs and groups. The volunteers who turn up week after week. The people who organise events, raise money, look after our green spaces, support their neighbours and make sure that someone who needs a little help doesn't have to manage on their own.

There are so many people in Shaftesbury who quietly get on with making a difference. Often without recognition, and rarely for any reward other than knowing they have helped someone else.

We see it every day.

And as Trustees of Shaftesbury Charitable Trust, we feel very lucky to be part of it.

The story of the Hovis loaf on Gold Hill, which helped raise the money to restore the hill, is also part of the story of how our Trust began. Since then, we have had the privilege of supporting many of the people, charities, groups and organisations that make Shaftesbury what it is.

We know we can't support everything, and we can't solve every problem. But we can play our part.

And that is what we intend to keep doing.

So, Shaftesbury, thank you.

Thank you to everyone who gives their time, lends a hand, raises a few pounds, makes a difference and cares about this little town we are lucky enough to call home.

You may be a small town.

But you have a very big heart.

With love,

The Trustees of Shaftesbury Charitable Trust