Following the retirement of Anthony McClaren as Trustee in October 2015, we were delighted to welcome Mr David Owen to our board of Trustees. 

​David was born and brought up in Gloucestershire, studying at Brockworth School, before gaining a degree in Business Studies from Liverpool John Moores University. He spent ten years in the North West working across the education sector and as MD of a start-up, high-growth, training business. For the last fifteen years he has worked in Gloucestershire, first as Director of Enterprise and Innovation at the University of Gloucestershire and now as Chief Executive of GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership (gfirstLEP).  He is currently a director of Gloucestershire Voluntary & Community Sector Alliance, South West Investment Group and Gloucestershire Enterprise Limited and is a member of the International Advisory Group of the Economic Development Council.  He lives in Stroud with his author wife and two daughters.

David attended his first meeting as Trustee in February. This also gave him the opportunity to me our team of Advisers. 
LINK: gfirstLEP website

At their July quarterly meeting, the Trustees awarded a grant of £20,000 to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust for their 'Cradle of the Cotswolds' project at Greystones Farm in Bourton on the Water.

Greystones Farm nature reserve is a unique site, with a long history of human settlement that has produced a wealth of nationally important heritage features. Although Greystones is already an enjoyable place to visit, many of the traditional farm buildings are derelict and there is scant information about the important heritage around the Farm. Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has always aspired to restore the farm and transform it into a location where people can learn about the rich wildlife and history of the Cotswolds.

Click on the link below to read more about the project.

LINK: Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust news

At their April 2015 quarterly meeting the Trustees awarded a grant of £75,000 to the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury towards their capital campaign for redevelopment and modernisation of the community arts centre and theatre.

The grant helped them to break through the half-way barrier of their Capital Campaign, and they have now raised over half a million pounds.

Click here to read more about the campaign.

The Trustees and staff of the Summerfield Charitable Trust would like to congratulate Gloucester Services on winning their recent award for 'Outstanding Contribution to Local Food Development' at the Western Daily Press Food & Farming Awards 2015, and wish them good luck and continued success with the opening of the Southbound Services on Tuesday 19th May 2015.
 
We are proud to be one of the early supporters of the project back in 2007. 

LINKS:
Gloucester Services
Western Daily Press Food & Farming Awards
Summerfield Trust support

In March this year the Trustees of the Grace Fry Charitable Trust transferred their investments to the Summerfield Charitable Trust in order that the Summerfield Trust could distribute more grants to benefit Gloucestershire charities.

Grace Fry lived in Cheltenham and keenly supported many causes similar to those of the Summerfield Trust. After her death, her Trust continued for a few years but the Trustees eventually recognised that by moving their investments to the Summerfield Trust, Mrs Fry's wishes could be retained but without the overheads.

In February this year The Summerfield Trust awarded a grant of £10,000 to CREATE Gloucestershire to promote a Gloucestershire apprenticeship scheme which is providing opportunities for young people wanting to go into the creative industries. 
Create Gloucestershire has recruited 13 apprentices and interns so far through the Creative Employment Programme.
CLICK HERE to read more about the scheme.

Click on the links below for the full story:

Gloucestershire Echo - 30/12/2014
Queen's New Year Honours 2014: Former Cheltenham Racecourse boss Edward Gillespie awarded OBE

Racing Post - 31/12/2014
Former Cheltenham Chief Gillespie Awarded OBE

The Summerfield Charitable Trust provided supported the Gloucester Services project in the very early days in 2007, so the Trustees were delighted to return to the site in November, where they held their final quarterly meeting of 2014, and after the meeting welcomed Gloucestershire’s Lord Lieutenant Janet Trotter to lunch and a tour of the station

Located on the northbound carriageway of the M5 between junctions 11a and 12 at Brookthorpe, to the south of Gloucester, Gloucester Services opened in May 2014 and a second services on the southbound carriageway is due to open in May 2015.

Click here for more information about our involvement in the project.

For more information about Gloucester Services click here

Tetbury Rail Lands Regeneration Trust (TRLRT) is a charity which is turning the site of Tetbury's former GWR railway station into a series of community assets for the people of the town and surrounding area.

At the July 2014 quarterly grants meeting, the Trustees of the Summerfield Charitable Trust pledged £30,000 towards the cost of installing digital audio-visual equipment and black-out blinds for the Goods Shed cinema. 

Read more on the TRLRT web site - www.tetburyraillands.com

You’ve seen the headlines, now hear the facts. The contentious method of fracking is surrounded by issues of environmental impact, economic viability and energy security. Get behind the headlines as Guest Director Richard Bacon chairs a frank discussion with Francis Egan, head of the company behind UK fracking, and energy economist Paul Ekins on the politics, the safety and the economics of fracking.

The Summerfield Trust sponsors annual events at the Cheltenham Festivals. For more information see our Projects Funded page.

2014 is the 25th Anniversary of the Summerfield Charitable Trust. To highlight the work of the Trust and explain more about its aims and priorities today and for the future, the Trustees commissioned a video which can be viewed below.

The recently re-opened Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum, now re-named The Wilson, is running a series of exciting events in the new exhibition and gallery spaces that were created during the major redevelopment project, which includes the Summerfield Gallery. Listed below are two of the current events. Click on the images to visit The Wilson website for details.

In July 2013 the Summerfield Trust paid the Nathan Timothy Foundation - The Songwriting Charity a grant of £5,000 towards their 'Something Kind' project.

Celebrating 'World Kindness Day' the aim of the 'Something Kind' programme was to raise confidence levels in those involved and engender strong relationships at secondary level, whilst bolstering resilience through transition to secondary school for primary school participants. The Songwriting Charity worked with schools in rural communities in Gloucestershire ensuring those with least access to the arts are given new opportunities to participate.

VIDEO: Gotherington Primary School - 'Kindness is a Thing That Makes You Happy'.

LINK: The Songwriting Charity blog

In May 2013 the Summerfield Trust paid a grant of £3,000 to Oakwood Primary School in Cheltenham towards a 'Sculptor in Residence' project to provide weekly workshops with the children, teaching them to work with wood and create a collection of seating that will remain in the school and be used by the children. During her time the sculptor will also be creating a large figurative sculpture that will be sited at the front of the  school.

Click here to read full report.

(Photos courtesy of Oakwood Primary School)

The Summerfield Trust has awarded a £12,000 grant towards the creation of a new entrance way from the existing Museum into the walled garden.

The project aims to bring back to life 2,000 square metres of derelict land which was formerly the garden belonging to the mansion house, now the Museum in the Park. The Entrance Way will be a fully accessible pathway from the Museum reception, a winding trail which rises gently though planted slopes with terraced seating looking back towards the Museum. 

LINK: To read more about the project, visit the Museum in the Park website.

In 2011 the Summerfield Trust gave a grant of £50,000 to the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum towards re-landscaping the car park and upgrading the visitor centre. In recognition of the Trust's support, the Trustees were invited to take part in a tree planting ceremony in a new glade of endangered trees. One of the Monkey Puzzle trees has now been named after the Summerfield Charitable Trust. The photos were taken on the day  - click on images for details.

You can read more about the planting project on the Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum website

We gave Gloucestershire Dance a grant of £20,000 in November 2012 to help develop a partnership with the Roses Youth Theatre in Tewkesbury. 

Gloucestershire Dance is a production and training company specialising in inclusive practice.  With their partners they aim to effect real change and address barriers to participation in the arts sector.

The photo is of Roses Youth Theatre members performing in a production of 'Stuck in the Mud' at Blackfriars Priory in Gloucester in October 2013. The event was attended by Vanessa Arbuthnott and Lavinia Sidgwick from the Summerfield Trust who both found it thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining.


LINKS:  Gloucestershire Dance and Roses Youth Theatre