Our impact
Last year we awarded almost £2.1 million, supporting over 72,000 people across Wiltshire and Swindon.
This was only possible because of the amazing generosity of our donors and the hard work and dedication of the charity and voluntary groups who run the services and projects we fund. We want to thank them for sharing our passion for supporting our local communities and helping more people to thrive.
This page provides an overview of the impact of our work in 2023/24. More information can be found in our Annual Review, which you can read by clicking below.
Read moreSupporting the voluntary sector to improve lives
During 2023/24 we awarded 211 grants totalling more than £1.6 million to 157 different voluntary and charitable groups – which helped to improve the lives of more than 72,000 people in Wiltshire and Swindon.
While not exclusively, our work in 2023/24 focused on the following themes, which were identified as four key priority areas in our county:
- Inequality
- Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Children and Young People
- Older People
As ever we have been inspired and humbled by the work and dedication of the voluntary sector across Wiltshire and Swindon. Below are just two examples of groups we funded and the vital work that they do to make life better for local people.
Kennet Furniture Refurbiz
Kennet Furniture Refurbiz (KFR) accept donations of furniture and white goods, which they refurbish and sell at affordable prices to the public, or at subsidised prices for people experiencing hardship.
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Growbaby
Growbaby provides a baby essentials bank for families on low incomes in Swindon.
Empowering individuals
2023 marked the 15th anniversary of our University Bursary programme, which originally began in 2008 thanks to the vision of Brian and Mari Shuker.
In 2023/24, we awarded bursaries totalling £348,800 to 68 students which allowed them to study subjects such as STEM, the arts, health, business, education and law. Since 2008, we have been able to support 575 young people across Wiltshire and Swindon into higher education, with grants totalling £3 million.
We also continued to award Vocational grants out to young individuals who wish to study a vocational subject such as construction, beauty or IT, and SWEF grants for those who are starting up their own business.
Kathryn Gadd
Kathryn Gadd received a bursary from us in 2023 to study a Higher National Diploma in Film and TV at New College Swindon.
Surviving Winter
In 2023/24, we were thrilled to have Wiltshire Centre for Independent Living join as an additional partner, joining Citizens Advice in Wiltshire and Swindon, the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s Warm and Safe Wiltshire project, and Age UK Wiltshire, in enabling us to reach and support groups vulnerable to fuel poverty in our community, increasing our impact to enable people to thrive, not just survive, through our programme.
Due to the previous success of our Surviving Winter programme, and our expert knowledge of local need and the voluntary sector, we were selected by both Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council to distribute the Household Support Fund which was funded by the UK Government. This resulted in an additional £350,000 in fuel grants for us to distribute across the county.
All in all, through our 2023/24 Surviving Winter programme, we awarded over £420,000, benefitting 2,855 individuals in 1,688 households. Due to the expertise and knowledge of our partners, the household income of those supported by the programme in 2023/24 increased to a total of £1,524,803 annually.
Since the programme was reviewed in 2020, household income of those supported has increased cumulatively by over £3 million annually.
Increasing our impact
We have made it a key aim to better understand the wider impact of our work and map all grants to groups against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SDGs are the blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030. Committed to by all member states of the UN, they address global issues such as ending poverty and hunger, improving health and increasing standards of education. They might be global but are equally relevant to the challenges we face in Wiltshire and Swindon.
In 2023/24, our grants contributed to 12 of the 17 SDGs, having the most significant impact on the six illustrated in the panel on the right.
To read the full 2023/24 Annual Review, click below.
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