The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust continues to deliver on its commitment to make a difference to charitable causes in the areas that we operate in. We wanted to provide an update on the difference our donations are making to some of the charities in the areas that we operate.
The Trust made 21 grants with a total of £165,000 in the last quarter.
Here are some of the grants that were made:
Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA)
The RNAA aims to help educate young people and adults on the understanding of food, farming, and the countryside. To support their project to build a Norfolk Food Hall to showcase the agri-food sector and enable people from across the county to engage with produce grown and processed locally, the Trust donated £25,000, with a commitment to donate a further £25,000 in 2025.
St Andrew’s Hospice
Based in Grimsby, the Hospice provides specialist palliative and end of life care for children, young people, and adults who have a progressive life-limiting illness. The Trust donated £15,000 for the purchase of a ‘cuddle’ bed which is specifically designed to allow a second person to lie beside their loved one and offer comfort when needed.
Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice
Based in Peterborough, a grant of £5,000 was awarded to support a specialist nursing team at the palliative care and bereavement charity.
The Feed
The Feed aim to alleviate food poverty in Norwich through the provision of free/low-cost healthy food, creating a sense of community, and addressing the root causes. A grant of £7,000 was awarded to support a 12-month project to provide cooking lessons and allow the charity to double the amount of free fresh fruit and vegetables they provide to those in need.
Hillside Animal Sanctuary
A donation of £15,000 was made to fund the purchase of a Paddock Sweeper to replace the manual task of clearing animal droppings from fields to prevent ‘horse worm’ and keep grass cleaner for better grazing and healthier animals.
Norfolk Community Law Service (NCLS)
£10,000 was awarded to NCLS towards the cost of delivering their anti-poverty project, which provides specialist debt, welfare benefits, and immigration advice for vulnerable individuals.
Clear Company
Clear Company are a Community Interest Company based in Wymondham, Norfolk. They run community events that engage groups and create platforms for collaboration across various sectors such as artists, wellbeing practitioners, mobile food vendors, and community groups. £9,000 was donated to support the modernisation of their kitchen area, which is central to the events and activities they provide.
Helpringham Community Café
Based in Lincolnshire, a donation of £1,000 was made to fund the purchase of outdoor tables and chairs to extend their facilities which provide a safe social setting for local people to gather in an otherwise isolated village.
Norwich Door to Door
Norwich Door to Door provide transport for elderly and disabled people to medical appointments, supermarkets, spousal visits to care homes, lunch clubs, and therapy groups. A grant of £5,000 was awarded to support this provision.
We also received some fantastic feedback from charities that have received donations from the Trust in the past:
The Clare School
The Clare School is a specialist physical and sensory complex needs school in Norwich, caring for over 100 children with various disabilities and health issues. £25,000 was awarded to fund a new sensory garden in June 2023.
Nigel Brown and Dee Myhill recently attended the official opening of the garden. During the visit, the headteacher explained how the garden had become an invaluable space for the children to sit and reflect, particularly in times of loss where fellow pupils could be remembered.
Norwich Men’s Shed
A grant of £4,950 was awarded to Norwich Men’s Shed in September 2023.
The charity provide sessions focused on social connections, skills development, and the creation of wood-working projects for both personal use and community benefit. The sessions improve men’s wellbeing by reducing social isolation and by participating in purposeful, creative activities.
“This grant helped fund core costs associated with ongoing Workshop Delivery – we currently run five workshop sessions each week and can accommodate up to 12 members per session, depending on which creative activities they choose. (We often have additional members popping in for a cuppa and a chat!) There were 74 direct beneficiaries over the six month funding period.”
Circus Starr
ABCT have supported Circus Starr a couple of times, with the latest grant given in December 2023. The charity provides mainstream events for children with disabilities, families on low incomes or facing difficult challenges such as domestic violence, bereavement or who may be living with life-limiting conditions, the intention is to create an inclusive environment for everyone in attendance. The grant funded the cost of 60 children to attend and join in the fun.
“When I say Isaac belly laughs, he really does. We try to attend social activities, but it can be very challenging for Isaac as he suffers huge anxiety, but once he’s settled in for your shows, I see the happiest boy come to life. I see him taking part, singing and signing and I love to watch him roar with laughter so much that I end up missing half the show myself.”
Runhall Community Group
In December 2023, Runhall Community Group were awarded £2,000 towards the replacement of aging playground equipment which serves the community spaces in Runhall, Brandon Parva, Coston, Thuxton and Welbourne.
“Runhall Recreation Ground means much more to the local community than merely a playground, it is seen as the hub of the community and is a vital link and central location for all local residents.”
