Wigley Community Fund case studies

Harbury Carnival has been running in the village for more than 50 years.

The popular event returned in June 2023 and included a procession as well as a range of activities and attractions including a fancy-dress competition, dance performances, stalls, live music and food.

Many of the activities provided are funded through an annual raffle with a prize draw, and any profits on the day are distributed to a range of local charities and groups.

Organisers applied to The Wigley Community Fund to support the event and hire ‘Stilt Man’ – a local Warwickshire-based stilt walker – for three hours, and successfully received £323 to pay the cost.

Haidee Powell, organiser of the carnival, said: “We are really thankful for the grant. Although it is something we could have funded ourselves, as a committee we would have had to make a decision over whether to pay for a stilt walker or give the money to a charity or good cause, so receiving this funding allows us to support different groups within the village instead.

“Harbury Carnival is always a fantastic community event and this year went really well. We were delighted to have five carnival floats and around 1,300 people turned up on the day in excellent weather. Stilt Man was fantastic too and created a real carnival atmosphere!”

Friends Of Our Lady’s School is a Parent Teacher Association based at Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School in Princethorpe.

The group facilitates a number of positive experiences for children and supports the Forest School run by Lil Ellis, which is held in the school grounds every Tuesday for up to 20 children.

The area – which is also used for a summer gardening club – has fencing around to protect children, however the fence was slowly rotting and parts had to be removed, deeming some areas unsafe and out-of-bounds.

Replacement fencing would have cost thousands of pounds, so the group was blown away when it applied to The Wigley Fund (WCF) and was told it would cost £380.25 – funded through the WCF at a reduced rate which was offered by The Wigley Group’s supply chain member PB Forestry.

PB Forestry have also removed weeds and put in wood chipping around the fencing to give it a smart new look.

Kirsty Maclean, who runs the PTA, said: “The fences help to keep children safe but it got to a point where it was unusable and so rotten, we had to remove it.

“We tried a number of companies and the first quote we had was about £5,000 and that would have completely wiped out our funds.

“Having this means we can now use that money for other things that the children need to support their education and give them the whole experience while at school.

“It is fantastic and much safer for the children. The kids absolutely love it and we are really lucky to have that space.”

The 1st Stockton Scout Group has a long history in the village, dating back more than 50 years. 

It currently caters for around 70 children from Stockton and surrounding villages through its Beavers, Cubs and Scouts groups and meets weekly at the Scout hut on the old football field in Stockton. 

It is run completely by volunteers and provides young people with skills for life and fun activities ranging from outdoor survival skills, to coding and modelling, while helping in the community by getting involved in initiatives including litter picking, participating in the Remembrance Day parade, and distributing flowers in the village. 

However, as some of the group’s equipment was dated, organisers decided to apply to the Wigley Community Fund to purchase a new mess tent used for activities and camping trips across Warwickshire, and was successful in receiving £1,605.

Rebecca Mitchell, who is chair of the group, said: “A lot of our equipment is getting old now and we’re a big group with more scouts than ever, so we really needed some fresh new equipment.

“We looked at ways to get funding locally and the Wigley Community Fund was an excellent place to start. 

“We are so lucky and grateful that they have been able to help fund the new mess tent. 

“Without this money, it would have taken longer to raise the amount necessary and potentially would have meant we missed out on the children having the tent for camping this summer.”

For more information about the group, search ‘1st Stockton Scouts’ on Facebook.  

Stockton Toddlesaurs Toddler Group has been operating in the village for more than 15 years.

Run by Joanne Harvey and Becky Makepeace for the past eight years, the group is for children up to the age of four and meets every Friday at Stockton Village Hall during term times.

The duo submitted an application to The Wigley Community Fund for £490 to purchase replacement storage boxes, a new steam cleaner, as well as new toys, floor mats and non-spill beakers.

The money will also pay for a session for children with Central Galaxy Trampoline Club in Coventry.

Jo said: “With the cost-of-living crisis, we have kept our prices as low as possible which meant we were only covering the rent and not able to save money.

“We were just going to plod on really, so being able to receive this grant has helped us get all the things that we have needed.

“The kids have come in so excited as they have had new toys to play with, so it has been really nice to see that.

“We’re very much a heart of the community toddler group, welcoming every single child from Stockton, Napton, Ufton, to Ladbroke – so a lot of children from the surrounding villages come along.

“The Wigley Group are just up the road from us as well, so it has been so lovely to have their support.”

Southam Ladies Rounds formed in 2022. The club has more than 20 members from Southam and beyond, and compete in the Rugby Rounders League playing their games at Rugby School.

Fonder Alice Munro applied to the Wigley Community Fund to help fund new equipment as it continues to grow its members, receiving £323.76.

She said: “With the cost-of-living crisis and the fact members pay for their games already, there hasn’t been any money in the kitty for equipment.

“So we contacted the Wigley Community Fund to help us get the equipment we need such as balls, bats and posts.

“We are so grateful to receive this funding and it is great to get the support for female sports in the area.

“A lot of the girls have never played any team sports before and some haven’t played rounders since school. It’s great for the social aspect too – we have all made so many new friends here.”

The idea for the Southam Community Minibus Association spawned in 1987 when the Welfare Committee of Southam Lions Club identified a need for affordable transport in the town.

The Association formed a year later and it currently operates with a 17-seat minibus.

The self-drive minibus is available for groups in Southam and the surrounding villages for just £55 per day – considerably below the commercial rate – supporting everything from schools, scouts, to sports teams.

The Association applied to The Wigley Community Fund to help with running costs for the year having lost income during the Covid-19 pandemic, and received £1,878.

Chairman Jeff Biddle said: “The effects of the Covid pandemic halted the activities of local organisations for two years, and not only was hire revenue not available, the costs of maintaining, taxing and insuring the vehicle still had to be met.

“This daunting situation has been considerably alleviated by the generosity of The Wigley Community Fund and means numerous community organisations will continue to benefit from this facility.

“It’s a great weight off our shoulders. As a voluntary group, grants like this are all the more important.”

Voluntary organisation Southam and District Lions Club has been in the town since it launched in 1971.

The group has around 30 members and meets twice a month at Southam Sports and Social Club, providing support and putting on events in the local community.

For more than four decades, it has hosted an annual Santa Sleigh and hog roast for young children in the town and local villages, donating the proceeds raised to charities.

The group applied to The Wigley Community Fund to support its efforts this year and received a £300 grant.  

David Thing, who is a volunteer and fundraiser, said: “This year we are raising money for Southam Foodbank and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, who provide respite, palliative and end-of-life care to babies and children up to the age of five.

“This money will be specifically used for Southam Foodbank as they have sadly seen growing demand for their services this year as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, so we are all really appreciative of the £300 from The Wigley Group.”

Isabelle Blay, three, from Southam, has a rare form of cerebral palsy called right sided hemiplegia, which affects muscle movement.

Known as Izzy, she was diagnosed at eight-months-old and experiences weakness, stiffness and a lack of control in her right side, making movement and fine motor skills a challenge.

The Blay family applied to The Wigley Community Fund and received a grant of £2,475 to access specialised therapy of an intensive physio course with local occupational therapist Becci Johnson.

The intensive course involved 45-hours of Constraint Induced Movement Therapy, with repetitive tasks and activities using both hands to practice movement and strengthen the muscles in Izzy’s hemiplegic right-hand side.

The grant has allowed Izzy to improve movement and muscle memory on her right-hand side, increasing her independence and allowing her to complete more everyday activities and enjoy more activities with her family.

Katie and Matt, Izzy’s parents said “We are very grateful to The Wigley Group for the generous grant which has allowed Izzy to complete the course.

“She has responded very well as a result and continues to reach her goals. We're so proud of her as she continues to show incredible determination and perseverance.”

Grandborough Parish Council manage and maintain five benches located around the village of Grandborough as community assets.

The village benches provide a place for locals, walkers and cyclists alike to sit, socialise and enjoy the views across the village.

Two of the benches outside St Peter’s Church and the village bus stop have been in place for many years, but were showing their age and in need of repair. 

The bus stop’s bench is regularly used by parents when waiting to see their children on and off the school buses, whilst church visitors often use the bench outside of St Peter’s.

Grandborough Parish Council applied for a grant of £520 from The Wigley Community Fund to replace these benches, having been told about the fund by a local resident.

After a successful application, the benches were installed in late October for the community to enjoy for years to come.

Richard Lee, Chairman, Grandborough Parish Council said “We are grateful to have received this grant from The Wigley Group.

“The funds have enabled the Parish Council to install the replacement benches in a shorter time frame then initially anticipated. This has allowed our residents and visitors more time to use and enjoy the new benches”

Harbury Toddler Group is a local group who organise weekly play sessions for children under five and their parents, carers or grandparents.

The group’s relaxed environment offers caregivers the opportunity to meet others, build friendships and find mutual support, whilst the children enjoy an array of entertaining activities designed to help develop their social, emotional, physical and communication skills.

It is a fully inclusive group and supports a number of children with additional needs. Activities include crafting, painting, den making, playdough creations and LEGO building.

With interest in the group increasing, they applied to the Wigley Community Fund and received a grant of £1,850.

The grant will be used to support the group’s running costs – enabling them to further improve their provision of sensory experiences, deliver successful special Christmas and Summer events and invite more presenters whose equipment/items they cannot currently store.   

Home-Start South Warwickshire is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with young children.

It is part of the national Home-Start brand which has more than 200 local hubs, with South Warwickshire’s set-up in 2019 by Marie Ashford and Mel Pritchard.

The organisation helps families with children five years and under who require social or physical support, by providing visits from trained volunteers to their own homes for two hours each week.

With demand for their service rising and a number of families on the waiting list, the group sought support from the Wigley Community Fund and obtained a £1,108.50 grant to fund another three volunteers for three Southam families currently waiting for support.

Community partnerships manager Jemma Bonner said: “Our referrals are through the roof at the minute and that means we have had to close the waiting list so people are not left waiting too long.

“We would not be able to survive without these types of community grants and for an organisation like us this donation is huge.

“With this money we will be able to train more volunteers to provide support to parents and their children who need it.” 

Long Itchington Cricket Club originally formed as a village cricket team in the 1860s, and reformed in its current name in 1976.

The club plays their home games at Whitehall Farm on Stonebridge Lane and has two teams in the Cotswold Hills League alongside an over-40s friendly team, and a thriving junior section.

With the club experiencing increased interest from spectators over the past couple of years, they decided it was time to provide more dedicated seating areas.

As a result, they applied to the Wigley Community Fund and received a grant of £1,244 to purchase three new picnic benches to increase the club’s capacity for spectators, particularly those with disabilities. 

Andy Hart, chairperson, said: “Because we are in a farmer’s field there is little space for people to come and watch the games so we thought it would be great to be able to provide more seating.

“We are trying to encourage more people from the village to get out and about and enjoy the cricket, and it’s a beautiful setting as well.

“We are really thankful to The Wigley Group as this money will make such a difference and help more people to enjoy the sport.” 

Stockton Community Garden Project is a volunteer-led after-school club which was formed in 2010 by a group of older residents in Stockton.

Its purpose is to teach children up to the age of 11 the skills to grow their own vegetables and learn about the food they eat, whilst also providing a chance for different generations to mix.

The group meets every Tuesday at Stockton Primary School and operates on the school’s playing field, where they grow vegetables and is also where their greenhouse is situated.

However, the greenhouse was sadly destroyed following heavy storms in February, and an online appeal was launched for donations from the community to fund a replacement.

Around £1,000 was raised with a £400 shortfall obtained from the Wigley Community Fund to ensure they could purchase the greenhouse that met their needs.

Group member Howard Collerson said: “When the storm came it blew one end of the greenhouse completely off so we were all devastated.

“We could have bought another greenhouse with the initial money raised but it wouldn’t have been as good and it would have been too small, so the Wigley grant was vital to us and will make a huge difference to the children.”

Proactive Young People is a not-for-profit community organisation which supports young people and adults aged 11-25 into employment.

The organisation was established in 2020 by Directors Nicholas Brosnan and Samantha Fitzgerald, who have worked in the sector together since 2008.

The pair decided to launch their own company to meet a demand from secondary schools, and now operate in Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and Leicestershire.

To aid the company’s growth they needed a new website to replace their unsuitable existing site, and applied to the Wigley Community Fund for help – receiving a £1,020 grant.

Director Nicholas Brosnan said: “We have always wanted to help younger people, and timing-wise when Covid came around we identified the fact there was a lot who would not get opportunities.

“We had a holding page set up but it is a static page and it isn’t very user-friendly at the moment.

“Now we will have an actual website for young people to access our support, and this will also help providers as the website will give information on what we do.

“We are really thankful to The Wigley Group and hopefully this will help more people to know about our work.”  

The website can be viewed at www.proactiveyoungpeoplecic.co.uk.

Southam Civic Ideas Forum (SCIF) was established in 2000 to carry out and support practical projects which benefit the town.

It has eight core members who meet bi-monthly, but anyone who lives in or near Southam is welcome to join in with the group’s activities.

The group applied to the Wigley Community Fund to produce updated versions of two popular public information leaflets – The Southam Town Trail and The Holy Well Walk. They were initially produced in 2005 but had not been updated for some time.

A grant of £664 from the Wigley Community Fund ensured around 4,000 new leaflets could be produced, providing enough copies for around three years.

The leaflets shine a spotlight on Southam's history and are hoped to provide a boost to the town's tourism.

SCIF member Pam McConnell said: “The leaflets have such an important role to play in promoting what the town has to offer both to visitors, and to new and existing residents, and to highlight some of its important history and heritage.

“We rely on the support of local business and grant-giving organisations, so we’re very grateful to The Wigley Group for helping us to update and do another print run of both leaflets.”

Nine-year-old Erin D'Arcy, from Long Itchington, was born with chromosomal syndrome Trisomy 9p and Léri-Weill dyschondrosteosis - a rare genetic condition which affects bone growth.

As a result, she has other health issues, including heart conditions, and is unable to speak and can only walk a few steps at a time.

Erin is able to get out and about in an off-road buggy which was bought by her parents in 2019, however it needed some improvements to ensure the family can enjoy their days out together.

The family applied to the Wigley Community Fund and were handed a £1,267 grant to buy buggy accessories including beach wheels and a bike trailer; alongside a new iPad and specialist iPad holder to help keep Erin entertained during the long periods of time that she spends in her buggy.

The grant has opened up many more possibilities for Erin to enjoy days out with mum and dad Suzanne and Simon, and younger sister Edith.

Suzanne said: “Erin faces many battles every day, however she remains upbeat, mischievous and happy, and continues to defy the odds.

“There is some financial support available to us, but we have to self-fund most of the things that improve Erin’s quality of life, so the grant from the Wigley Community Fund will make a big difference and we are all very grateful.”

The 1st Long Itchington Scout Group was set up in 2016 by a group of villagers who had been involved in the running of similar groups around the area, and wanted to set up their own for local youngsters.

There are almost 100 members across two Beaver Colonies, two Cub Packs, and two Scout Troops, who meet all year round, over three nights of the week, at their HQ in the village.

Group leaders and young members are constantly fundraising to meet the running costs of their HQ, and to help pay for their varied programme of activities and adventures.

After seeing The Wigley Support Fund advertised in a local newsletter, they applied for the £631 that they needed to buy 12 new hammocks and to pay for the annual service of their large gas-powered camping stove.

Kevin Etter, group Treasurer, said: “The grant from The Wigley Support Fund made a big difference to our group.

“We need to do a lot of fundraising just to keep the group going so without this money it would have taken us so much longer to buy the new hammocks and to ensure the stove is safe to use — both of which will provide more opportunities for our young members to enjoy a host of new experiences.”

Rubbish Friends (Southam) was set up in 2019 by a group of friends who wanted to make a difference to the environment and contribute to a greener society by keeping Southam clear of rubbish for the benefit of residents, visitors and wildlife.

Every month a group of around 30 members, adults and children, meet each month to pick up litter in different areas of the town.

The Wigley Community Fund donated £980 to buy new litter picking tools, as well as some more hoops for holding the refuse bags to expand their stocks, and two handicarts which will enable less abled people to join litter picking sessions. The grant also paid for a year’s insurance.

Fran Howell, of Rubbish Friends (Southam), said: “We are extremely grateful for the financial support of Wigley Group, and now that the grant from them has enabled us to build up a good stock of equipment, we can loan it to the Scouts, schools and other nearby village groups.”

Monthly afternoon tea parties have been held at the War Memorial Hall in the village of Marton since 2015 as way of helping retired people in Marton and the surrounding villages of Birdingbury, Leamington Hastings and Hill to meet and make new friends.

The group was established by villager Mary Harrison and serves sandwiches, sausage rolls, cream scones and cakes with speakers of local interest invited to give presentations.

A £600 grant from the Wigley Community Fund was used to pay for the hire of the hall and the purchase of the ingredients to make the food for one year.

Previously, the group was paying for the costs of the tea parties through regular fundraising by individuals and local businesses.

Jane Hampson, who helps to run the tea parties, said: “The grant gives us the security of knowing that we can continue the tea parties for one year and has given us time to source additional funding for the longer term.”

A grant of £1,900 from the Wigley Community Fund paid for Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) that was installed in a redundant phone box in the village of Stockton, Warwickshire.

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Figures from the Community Heartbeat Trust suggest that 30,000 people every will suffer sudden cardiac arrest and approximately 95 per cent of those will die before reaching hospital.

With an AED in the community, the survival rate could be as high as 50 per cent.

The nearest hospitals to Stockton are 9.5 miles and 14 miles away, which demonstrates how vital a defibrillator is to a rural village.

Villager Sue Coutts, with the support of Stockton Parish Council and Councillor John Emberton, had been seeking funding to get a defibrillator installed there since the death of her father who suffered a cardiac arrest.

Sue said: “I’m not sure whether a defibrillator would have saved my father’s life, but it did highlight how important this potentially lifesaving piece of equipment can be. It’s thanks to the generosity of The Wigley Group that we can now buy one for Stockton.”

The installation and maintenance of the defibrillator and the phone box was funded by Stockton Parish Council, which also paid for a group of villagers to be trained to use it.