South West Foundation

Westway Farm, Bishop Sutton

Somerset BS39 5XP

England

Tel: 01275 333666

email: info@southwestfoundation.org.uk

Welcome to South West Foundation

Voted South West Regional Funder of the year

Investing in Communities

The South-West Foundation is an independent organisation helping small community groups throughout the region and those who support them. To date the Foundation has invested over £3million to more than 1,000 organisations

The Foundation invests in communities throughout the region by:
  • Managing  and distributing grants on behalf of other funders alongside its own funding
  • Supporting and promoting community development.
  • Undertaking  research into issues that affect the community sector
  • Supporting over 60 networks and providing networking opportunities fir the sector
  • Encouraging the development of appropriate training for the sector including the Community Researcher training to help people in communities to have a voice and greater influence.

The Big Community Development Picnic

Don’t miss your opportunity to take part in the Big Community Development Picnic

big picnic

Have your say on the Big Society. What are your views on Community Organisers?

Attend a workshop run by the Federation for Community Development

Meet other form the Community Development and funding advice worker worlds

Hear about how Community Researcher Training is helping people to have a voice in communities.

Catch up on empowerment activities




SHIPHAM VILLAGE HALL: 28th SEPTEMBER 10:00am-3:30pm
To book a place phone the Foundation on 01275 333666

Tea with Naomi: How to Influence Parliament

The Foundation has been running a series of seminars with Naomi Kent from the Parliamentary Outreach Unit informing local people how they can influence Parliament

The seminars are held over tea and cakes.

The next seminar is 13th September 2010 at the Badger Centre in Weston Super Mare - phone the Foundation to book in on 01275 333666

New Training Programme

South West Foundation in partnership with Empowering Communities is able to offer free training to people in communities in Community Research techniques. The course takes place usually one day per week over six weeks and looks at research techniques, designing your own research, collecting and analysing data. The programme ends with a presentation on the findings of your research to those who can bring about change in communities.

So far the training has been delivered to communities in North Somerset, East Devon, Wiltshire, South Devon and Torbay.

If you or your organisation might be interested in this training please contact the Foundation on 01275 333666 or e-mail: info@southwestfoundation.org.uk

Grants

Small Grants.

The Foundation, in partnership with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation would like to invest small grants up to £1,000 in small Community Organisations operating in rural areas, market and coastal towns with the aim of encouraging and enabling people to take part in their communities. We like to talk to you first before sending you a form.

Please do ring us on 01275 333666 for more information

Networking and Empowerment Fund.

A partnership Fund between South West Foundation and Empowering Communities. Small grants up to £1,000 are available for a variety of networking activities, including giving people a voice and greater influence in decisions that affect their communities.

New Grant Programmes

Community Grants.

This is a partnership programme between the Foundation, The Learning Curve, the Learning and Skills Council and the European Social Fund. The aim of the programme is to support Third Sector Organisations to undertake work with individuals who are furthest removed from the labour market and to give them the skills and confidence that they need to move forward.

Grants up to £12,000 are available although most are expected to be between £6-8,000.

This programme is now closed but we are hoping that there might be further programme around December time 2010

The BIGGER PICTURE

The Foundation is currently collecting photos for an exhibition to celebrate the variety of work undertaken by the Community Sector. This exhibition might be coming to a community centre or village Hall near you....The Foundation is also bringing together the BIG Picture Book containing photos and case studies of the work that the sector undertakes.

If you would be keen to have your organisation featured in this book please send the Foundation your photos and case study to: info@southwestfoundation.org.uk or send it in by post to our office address