How Shropshire Community Foundation is making a difference across the county

And in less than two years the charity has already distributed over £110,000 from individual and corporate donations and endowment funds to organisations and individuals across the county.

Shropshire Community Foundation was set up in August 2022 with the straightforward aim of linking businesses and individuals in a position to donate funds with the local organisations and projects who need the funding.

The trustees all work and live in the county and use their combined experience and knowledge of the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin community and charity sector to ensure funds go where they are needed and will have the most impact.

They are supported in their work by their two patrons – the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire Anna Turner and Shropshire born Garrison Sergeant Major Andrew ‘Vern’ Stokes OBE MVO DL who is Director Ceremonial Operations at the UK Ministry of Defence.

Chair of Shropshire Community Foundation Selina Graham DL explained that the foundation had invested time and effort in building relationships with a wide range of partners in the county.

“They all share the common goal of making their county the very best it can be, of supporting one another and supporting the incredible community organisations who do so much.

“We spend a lot of time identifying those who have the funds to donate, but at the same time the team has worked hard to develop its knowledge and understanding of funding issues across the county and the pressing needs of the voluntary and community sector. This has all fed into a three-year strategic plan of fundraising and giving.

“We have been working very hard to encourage contributions from both the public and private sectors as well as building a grants programme targeting the most pressing challenges and issues in our county,” said Selina.

“Our mission has and will always be to channel the generosity and goodwill of the county’s individuals and organisations and use it to build a long-term source of sustainable, strategic grant funding for the good of those communities and people most in need across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.”

The charity has won support for its work from local MPs, Shropshire Council, Telford & Wrekin Council, the High Sheriff of Shropshire and the voluntary and charity sector as well as parish and town councils across the county.

Funds come to the foundation through a variety of channels. These include income from three endowment funds totalling almost £700,000.

One of these is Zac’s Fund, a charity fund started to help four-year-old Zac Oliver of Broseley receive pioneering cancer treatment in the USA in 2018. The community fundraising was a huge success and Zac was able to receive the treatment he needed. He remains cancer free.

The legacy of that fundraising effort is now being used to offer grants to support other children and young people with cancer, and their families. Shropshire Community Foundation is working with Zac’s family to oversee the distribution of grants given to both individuals and charities.

Foundation trustee Sonia Roberts MBE said: “We are very proud to have been trusted with the legacy of Zac’s Fund and to help ensure that this amazing community fundraising effort, which helped to save Zac’s life is now being used to support young people in similar circumstances.”

The foundation is also working with the family of former professional footballer Dalian Atkinson of Telford to set up a new fund aimed at offering every youngster across Telford & Wrekin an equal chance to take part in football and sport in memory of Dalian’s passion for the game. The former Aston Villa player died in 2016 at the age of 48.

The foundation has won the support of the High Sheriffs of Shropshire in its work. Each High Sheriff has an ex officio place on the board of trustees for his or her term of office and several have gone on to continue as members of the board or as ambassadors.

The High Sheriff’s Fund was established in 2021 and since then they have contributed to it, with SCF having the role of looking after the endowment and distributing funds to charities and community groups across Shropshire following criteria drawn up by each holder of the office.

Last year the fund assigned grants totalling £15,000 to 14 groups across the county with the aim of keeping young people from getting involved in criminal activity and this year’s grants of £12,000 are being distributed to organisations more generally helping young people improve their lives.

In Telford & Wrekin, the foundation administered the council’s Welcoming Spaces grant scheme offering grants totalling £15,000 to not-for-profit organisations to support activities tackling loneliness and social isolation.

The final report for the Welcoming Spaces scheme found that the grants had resulted in a significant reduction in social isolation.

But the foundation’s role is as much in providing a pathway for those individuals and organisations across the county who want to donate funds to support Shropshire’s communities. This involves co-ordinating generous donations from the county’s industry and business sector as well as from individuals.

As part of this role, the foundation has set up the thriving Shropshire Investors in Community (SIIC) scheme with over 60 members all working together collectively to provide funds to build stronger communities across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.

Selina said that the SIIC initiative had helped businesses to better target their corporate social responsibility funds to benefit grassroots community groups, charities and the people they served – and by collaborating, there are of course, many more funds to go around.

“Senior business leaders recognise the role that business plays in supporting the communities around them where their teams live and work. But it can be difficult to know where to start, and how to make a substantial impact, let alone finding time within pressurised workloads to research and administer community giving.

“The foundation offers an alternative approach – supporting organisations to channel their charitable funds into the areas and the causes which are most important to them. Advice is based on a wealth of knowledge of the local communities across Shropshire and the challenges they face,” she said.

Last year the SCF launched its Acorn Fund. This has been supported in its initial stages by the SIIC but also by generous individuals in the community who have given money from many different sources – from funeral collections, to money raised through sponsorship for a marathon. The idea being to build a lasting legacy by Shropshire people, with Shropshire people, for Shropshire people.

“Any amounts, small or large are welcome” said Ben Powell, finance trustee – “it is all part of making the difference.”

Grants from the Acorn Fund, have this year been distributed to organisations tackling loneliness and isolation.

One of the most recent SCF and industry partnerships has been with Shropshire’s biggest construction company, McPhillips, helping it distribute grants from its 60th anniversary community fund supporting local organisations and initiatives that promote positive mental health and wellbeing across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.

Selina said that the Foundation was simply providing a way for donors to give back something to their communities in whatever way best suited them.

“Without the generosity, support and commitment of our generous donors and organisations we would not be able to make such a positive difference across Shropshire.

“We are dedicated and passionate about making sure that every contribution is used to change the lives of people living in Shropshire and helping their communities to thrive,” she said.

n For further information about Shropshire Community Foundation see the website at Home Page – Shropshire Community Foundation