Garfield Weston Foundation
2007 Annual Report and Accounts
Community – £2,115,352 in 302 grants

The number of grants allocated in the Community category has increased by 40 per cent over the previous year, with the trend continuing to be a larger number of small grants. The amount distributed has also increased, by approximately 30 per cent. The largest donations are £50,000, which in this financial year are all for capital requirements, and the smallest is £250. The majority of charities receive a grant of £5,000.

Several church projects are supported, including Hope City Church in Sheffield and St George’s Crypt in Leeds, each with £30,000, for their work with disadvantaged communities. A grant of £20,000 is provided both to St Mary the Virgin Church in Bowdon towards a new community centre which will replace a number of dilapidated buildings and also to Aylesbury Methodist Church for the expansion of its facilities. Christ the King Catholic Church in Kingstanding receives £20,000 for a new community centre in which to carry out its social welfare activities and St Margaret’s Church in Aberdeen towards the refurbishment of its hall. St Cuthbert’s Trust in Portsmouth is supported with a grant of £50,000 to help re-order the enormous church to cater for youth and community activities and to provide a more intimate space for worship.

The Kings Cross-Brunswick Neighbourhood Association is supported with a grant of £25,000 towards the modernisation and expansion of its heavily used community resource in a densely populated and diverse area. The Trustees have followed up an earlier capital grant to the Arts Factory in Rhondda with a contribution of £25,000 towards its operating costs and overheads. The same amount is provided to the Barton Hill Settlement in Bristol towards its running costs.

Sports Leaders UK is supported with a grant of £15,000 towards its aim to engage communities through leadership qualifications in sport. Other grants which help communities with facilities for sport and physical activities include the Halvergate Playing Field Association in Norwich, Whitminster Village Hall and Playing Field Management Committee (each with £10,000), King George’s Field in Sheffield, Cookley Playing Fields Association, Sampford Peverell Memorial Hall and Recreation Ground in Tiverton, the Mepal Sports Action Group in Ely and Whittle-le-Woods Playing Field in Chorley (all with £5,000).

Disadvantaged groups to benefit include the Gilfach Goch Community Association in Rhondda (£20,000), Asylum Welcome in Oxford (£15,000), Coalburn Miners’ Welfare Charitable Society (£10,000), the Afghan Community Organisation of London, the Jamaica Society in Leeds, Poplar Housing and Regeneration Community Association, the East London Bangladeshi Parents’ and Families’ Forum in London (each with £5,000) and the Eritrean Community Support and Information Centre in London (£3,000). Rural isolation is addressed with grants of up to £10,000 made to village halls in Bacton, Barbon, Bedrule, Bentley, Blaxhall, Bockleton, Bridestowe, Church Lawford, Claxton and Carleton, Cleasby, Defford, Dunaverty, East Keswick, Eckford, Eddleston, Essendine, Gavinton, Glasbury, Great Salkeld, Hambleton, Kelloe, Llanwrthwl, Lowick, Mendham and Withersdale, Nettleton, Painscastle, Ringshall, Rowington, Saxton, Smarden, Sutton-under-Whitestone, Tayvallich, Weedon Bec, Whaplode, Whitsome, Wittersham, Witton Gilbert and Wootton.