Since the Isle of Wight Foundation was launched in 2014, we have given around £900,000 to local good causes, helping to tackle social exclusion on the Island.
The latest groups receive support with grants totalling more than £85,000 are:
YES! Creative Beats – £4,200 given to this new community interest company aimed at developing community drumming/movement groups for adults. They will run 12 weekly sessions in three different locations.
Community Action IW – £14,000 towards developing a grassroots music/media project within the renovated Sandown Town Hall, open for all young people.
The 4Ps Vectis Radio Training School– £6,600 for this radio training school designed to provide individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to produce and present their own radio programmes while boosting much-needed confidence and communication skills. The 4Ps in the name stands for ‘Presenting, Production, Podcasting and Promoting’. The training School covers a range of topics.
Aspire Community Minibus – £16,000 to pay for a replacement community bus which will transport Islanders to a number of projects and events, from young people engaged in sports, music and social activities, to older community members participating in lunch clubs and wellbeing trips.
Alzheimer Café IW — £16,000 for Arts and Woodwork Studios at its newly opened Parklands Centre in Cowes. The studios will allow an artist and a carpenter to work in a light and airy space that will encourage both people with dementia visiting Parklands and others from the wider community to come together to create beautiful things.
Care In the Garden (CITG) — £16,000 for its Work Buddy Scheme. The scheme will help fund a co-ordinator to source paid employment and work experience placements for clients of Wootton-based CITG. The co-ordinator will liaise with employers, clients and their families, as well as other external agencies such as educational establishments etc.
People Matter IW — £3,690 towards potting equipment for the gardening area in the Learning Disability Support Centre and to purchase a 65-inch smart screen as a learning aid. People Matter aims to improve the skills and self-esteem of people with learning disabilities
St Catherine’s Speech and Language School — £8,924 for an additional Job Coach to specifically work with students who have additional vulnerabilities alongside their Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). These students need to have more frequent and intensive work experience opportunities. The Job Coach will attend placements with these students, helping them break down barriers.
Find out more about the work of the Isle of Wight Foundation in our annual reports
Read more about the VINCI Foundation and the type of projects it has supported in countries around the globe.
Jan Brookes CEO Isle Access “The funding for bikes and storage facility have enabled us to create a cycling programme for people who cannot ride regular two-wheeled cycles. The people using the bikes are gaining new skills such as, confidence, balance, coordination, and they are now enjoying a sport that they previously couldn’t take part in. We are very grateful to the Foundation for funding this project.” Isle Access: £16,000 for accessible cycling equipment (social integration – community life)
Trudie Augustus-Harris Administrator YMCA Young Carers “The ‘Me Time’ project benefitted the Young Carers in a diverse amount of positive ways. It was great to be able to give them the opportunity to do something just for themselves ranging from learning a new instrument to being able to buy equipment for a new hobby that they’d always had a passion for. It really has made a positive difference to their lives. Thank you Isle of Wight Foundation!” YMCA Young Carers: £6,000 to fund individual grants to young carers (building better communities – social integration)
Luke Kerr IW Beach Soccer “Beach soccer is continually growing in popularity due to its accessibility, health and social benefits. The new goals funded by the Isle of Wight Foundation have helped to secure our future and allow us to focus on our strategy to work more closely with Island schools to give even more young people the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from beach soccer.” Isle of Wight Beach Soccer: £3,657 for new sets of goals (Access to employment – youth and citizenship)
Abbie James IW Coordinator Wave Project “The grant that we received from the IW Foundation has been pivotal in strengthening the project and has allowed us to reach even more young people. Throughout the whole process, the team at Island Roads were really helpful and super supportive. Thank you!” Wave Project: £9,750 for equipment to help vulnerable children and young people to access surf therapy sessions (Building better communities – social integration)
Chris Bagnall Wight Home Care “The new bus has made a huge difference to our members who really look forward to their trips out with the club. The new bus is larger and able to accommodate up to three wheelchair users at once, which is hugely beneficial. As well as enabling our members to do some shopping or visit an attraction, the Daisy Chain Club has important social benefits. Our members love catching up with friends – and meeting new ones – while out and about.” Wight Home Care: £15,000 to help fund a new minibus for the Daisy Chain Club (Building better communities – social integration)
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