Summerfield Charitable Trust Project

Summerfield Charitable Trust logo

We’re working in partnership with The Summerfield Charitable Trust to take forward a pioneering investment strategy that aims to improve the lives of thousands of people in the county.  

Information about the project

Our role involves working with local VCSE sector groups, organisations and communities to co-produce a range of investment proposals for the Trust’s Board to consider. These proposals will be focussed within 6 core themes:  

  • A Connected Society, which will focus on building more strongly connected communities;  
  • Aging Well, which will focus on supporting older people to have a good quality of life;  
  • Arts and Culture, which will focus on developing ways of increasing participation in creativity, arts and culture;  
  • Children and Families, which will focus on building support for local families with children under the age of 5;  
  • Action for Nature and Climate, which will focus on enabling communities to take action for nature and encouraging individual and collective behaviours that reduce the use of carbon; and  
  • Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) infrastructure, which aims to develop organisational support that enables the sector to innovate and thrive. 

You can download summary of the Investment Strategy via the following weblink.

We held an online Question & Answer session with David Owen, Chair of the Summerfield Charitable Trust, in April. You can download a document containing some FAQs and questions from the online session via the following weblink.

Information about the project’s Core Group 

The Core Group will be made up of representatives from VCSE sector groups & organisations in Gloucestershire. The Group will work with Gloucestershire VCS Alliance and communities to implement the Trust’s Investment Strategy. Their responsibilities include: 

  • Contributing to the overall leadership and development of the project 
  • Providing expertise and local insight in relation to at least one investment theme
  • Using established networks to support the project team to reach into communities
  • Co-designing investment proposals with communities and with the VCSE sector; this includes working with Gloucestershire VCS Alliance to design and deliver engagement events
  • Working with Gloucestershire VCS Alliance to draw the investment ideas and proposals from communities together into coherent propositions
  • Considering final investment recommendations, including fund allocations and mechanisms for how funds are held and distributed, prior to presentation to The Summerfield Charitable Trust
  • Contributing to shared learning about our emerging methodology for distributing funds

How can I keep updated about the project?

We will publish updates on our website, via our social media and in our mailings.

You can follow Gloucestershire VCS Alliance on X: @GlosVCSAlliance and on Facebook: GlosVCSAlliance. You can sign up to our mailings via the following weblink.

How can I find out more about this project?

Please email any queries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How can I find out more about Summerfield Charitable Trust?

The Summerfield Charitable Trust was established in 1989 and has allocated more than £7 million in grants to good causes in Gloucestershire. The Trust has funded a range of community projects including those in the arts, natural heritage, environment, education, recreation and sport. You can find out more about The Summerfield Charitable Trust by visiting their website: www.summerfield.org.uk. You can also find The Summerfield Charitable Trust on X: @SummerfieldNews.