Cornwall Group has awarded £16K in grants to charities across Cornwall, as part of a regular initiative to support good causes in the community.
Each year, the Cornwall Glass Panel meets to allocate money among charities that have applied for grants via the Cornwall Community Foundation.
It selects charities from six categories:
- Wellbeing and safety
- Arts, culture and heritage
- Skills and education
- Community cohesion
- Reducing isolation
- Access to the environment
Twelve charities received the funds they applied for – 11 in full – including Penhaligon’s Friends (a children’s bereavement charity); The Old Bank (food bank); and Swamp Circus Trust (training for young people.
Penhaligon’s Friends supports bereaved children, young people and their families in Cornwall, and will use the grant to pay for volunteer travel expenses for family visits to allow them to engage with more bereaved children and young people.
The Old Bank in Camelford will spend the grant on essential food items, hygiene products and pet food, and to restock the larder in preparation for a refurbishment.
Swamp Circus Trust will use the grant to help provide young people and returning-to-work adults with BTEC qualifications. This includes providing transport for those unable to access public services in hard-to-reach areas, and costs and towards tutor support for the training.
“Fifteen years ago, we decided to set up a charitable foundation so that we could give something back to the communities in which we work,” Cornwall Group’s HR and Marketing Manager Emma Harris said. “And since 2013, that charitable fund has been guided by Cornwall Community Foundation.
“But while the money is ringfenced by the Cornwall Community Foundation, a small group of us at Cornwall Group meets once a year, or once every other year, to decide how that money is spent. Since the fund was created, we have donated around £150,000 to 100 groups in the region.
“I think for a business as big as ours operating in South West, it is brilliant for to be able to reach out and help our communities. It is too easy to get bogged down with day-to-day work, so it’s nice to sit down and make a real difference to the community you work in.”
