Our impact
Last year we awarded almost £2 million, supporting over 130,000 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 2022/23 and more information is available in our Annual Review below.
Read moreSupporting the voluntary sector to improve lives
During 2022/23 we awarded 269 grants totalling more than £1,557,000 to 165 different voluntary and charitable groups – which will help improve the lives of more than 130,000 people in Wiltshire and Swindon.
The grants funded a wide range of projects and initiatives but we prioritised our funding against four areas that were highlighted by research we commissioned as being key issues in the county. These areas were:
- helping our charities and community groups support those most affected by the cost of living crisis
- tackling poverty and inequality and its effects
- supporting children and young people
- preventing or alleviating poor mental health
As ever we have been inspired and humbled by the work and dedication of the voluntary sector across Wiltshire and Swindon. Below is just one example of a group we funded and the vital work that they do to make life better for local people.
Trowbridge Future
Trowbridge Future supports local vulnerable people by providing opportunities for them to come together, build stronger relationships and improve their community and the things that matter to them.
Read MoreEmpowering individuals
In 2022/23 we awarded over £440,000 in individual grants to support children and young people's education. The majority was given in university bursaries to 67 young people, many from challenging backgrounds, helping to alleviate their financial concerns and allowing them to focus on their studies.
Our smaller education programmes enabled 20 young people from low income families to pursue vocational studies and 13 children and young people, who have a disability or additional learning need, to improve their educational opportunities or enhance their development. Additionally we awarded 39 grants through our SWEF programme to support young people to set up their own business.
In 2022/23 we continued to increase the impact of our Surviving Programme by partnering with the Centre for Sustainable Energy – Warm & Safe Wiltshire, Age UK Wiltshire, Wiltshire Citizens Advice and Swindon Citizens to deliver support to vulnerable individuals.
Together with these organisations we were not only able to address people’s immediate needs through fuel grants but also provided advice on moving to cheaper tariffs, support with applying for appropriate benefits, help with the cost of repairing or servicing heating systems, energy saving advice and free hot meals for the most vulnerable.
Through our 2022/23 Surviving Winter campaign we were able to support 3,039 individuals from 1892 households.
Summer Pettengale
Summer Pettengale received a £2,000 SWEF grant to help her open a beauty studio and training academy in Devizes. She explains how the grant gave her confidence and the extra support she needed.
Read MoreIncreasing 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 against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
SDGs are the 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 2022/23, our grants contributed to 15 of the 17 SDGs, having the most significant impact on the six illustrated in the panel on the right.
