Downright Special is a Hull-based charity whose aim is to build a brighter future for children with Down Syndrome by assisting in all aspects of their care and education across Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.
With huge potential for growth, Harry’s HAT needed help getting off the ground with promoting awareness. Their video highlights how they support children with Hydrocephalus.
We first met Market Field Farm when they won one of our Grants for Good in 2021. Since then they have been going from strength to strength as they expand, and for 2023 we’ve funded this film for them.
Men in Sheds (Hull) is a thriving charity that reduces social isolation for older men in the Hull area. The charity provides new personal connections, a positive focus, and a foundation from which to improve physical and mental health. In doing so, they also help their wider community, regularly contributing their woodworking skills to valuable community projects.
Access the Dales is a newly formed charity providing free wheelchairs to help more people access walks across the Dales. Founded by a teacher from Leeds and her husband – a couple who simply wanted to keep doing what they loved after Debbie became a wheelchair user – they soon realised that there was lots of work to be done to help a wider range of people, and particularly children, access the countryside all over the UK.
As an average UK citizen we each need to plant nine trees every year to balance our carbon consumption. 9Trees’ main aim is to improve UK biodiversity and mental health through access to woodlands as well as balancing carbon footprints for businesses and individuals. Their model has the potential to be not only a sustainable solution, but a large-scale successful Community Interest Company (CIC) that connects businesses and landowners from Lands End to John O’Groats, working together to meet these aims.
The UK Wild Otter Trust is a Devon-based charity dedicated to protecting and promoting a positive understanding of the European Otter and its conservation. As well as rescuing and rehabilitating otters from all over the UK, they also raise awareness, educate and campaign to help ensure the welfare and conservation of this much-loved native species.
Sanitree is a social enterprise based across Scotland and India. Not only are they making menstruation more sustainable by manufacturing and selling reusable pads, they are also providing employment for women in Jaipur, India, who make the pads. They also have an outreach programme helping girls in Rajasthan to stay in education.
We provided funding for this video to help educate the local community about the work they do and how they might get involved during Volunteers Week 2023.
The BillyChip is an alternative to cash that allows the public to give direct donations to rough sleepers and homeless people without the fear of their donation being misused for drugs or alcohol. They can be redeemed in coffee shops and takeaways for the minimum of a hot or cold drink of their choice, many outlets offer more. The BillyChip is the legacy of its inventor, Billy Abernethy-Hope, a twenty-year-old ambulance driver from Bristol who tragically died before he could see his idea become a reality.
WISHH, the official charity of Hull Hospitals, is dedicated to enhancing the experiences of patients, families, and hospital staff at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, beyond what the NHS alone can provide. From creating sensory rooms and family accommodations in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to transforming both indoor and outdoor spaces for cancer care, WISHH’s initiatives have a profound impact on the lives of those receiving care at Hull Hospitals.
Entering the care system can be a daunting experience for children, often marked by confusion and loss. In Wales there are more than 7,000 children in care, many of whom arrived with their belongings in bin liners, fostering feelings of worthlessness. Heirs is an organisation addressing this crisis through its “love in a bag” programme, providing essential supplies and emotional support to children in care, instilling dignity and hope during a vulnerable period of their lives.
Talking About Loss is a Yorkshire-based charity founded by Jacqui Gunn in 2019 after the loss of her father. The charity offers grief support in Yorkshire through community meetings and specialised therapy groups, including those for men’s mental health. The charity helps people share experiences, easing the isolation of grief. Funds from Grants for Good will support the expansion of the charity’s men’s mental health initiative.
The Wirral Barn Owl Trust, founded in 1999, works to protect the declining barn owl population on the Wirral peninsula. After rising to 42 pairs by 2012, numbers have fallen again to 13 pairs, threatened by habitat loss and severe weather. Relying solely on donations, the Trust’s conservation efforts include installing nest boxes, monitoring owl activity, collaborating with farmers, and educating the public to secure a sustainable future for these iconic birds.
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and those assigned female at birth, yet it remains widely misunderstood, often resulting in years of misdiagnosis and inadequate care. This chronic condition causes debilitating pain and fatigue, significantly impacting various life aspects, from work to relationships. Founded in Hull by Katy, who experienced over 20 years without a diagnosis, Endo Buddies aims to ensure no one feels isolated in their struggle, offering vital support and advocacy for those living with endometriosis.
WeSwim is a London-based organisation providing accessible swimming opportunities for disabled individuals. Addressing barriers such as transport, costs, and limited inclusive facilities, WeSwim creates a supportive environment for participants to improve their physical and mental well-being. Founded in 2021, they now operate across five London locations, supported by a large, dedicated team of volunteers.
In addition to funding the launch of this brand new runner’s safety app, we have also provided extra support to produce high-quality video content promoting the app. The Race Ready app will raise awareness of medical issues that can affect runners during both training and racing, and provides recommendations to keep runners safe based on the latest research.
TCCL specialises in supporting families with a child under18 diagnosed with cancer or leukaemia by working with local health services to provide additional care during and after treatment, offering free holidays at their four-bedroom lodge in St Andrews, a vibrant seaside town not too far from Ninewells Hospital, where families can enjoy respite from treatments.
Walking 4 Hope, a charity in Sutton-in-Ashfield, UK, offers solace and support through nature walks, arts and crafts sessions, and peer support groups for those dealing with bereavement and mental health challenges. Their new short film, funded by the Matthew Good Foundation, highlights the charity’s mission and the transformative impact of their work on the community.
Stairfoot Foodbank is a crucial resource in Barnsley, providing emergency food parcels to individuals and families facing financial hardship. Serving up to 147 people weekly, it operates entirely through dedicated volunteers who also conduct fundraising activities like car boot sales and coffee mornings to raise funds for purchasing non-donated food items.