Wigley Community Fund case studies

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.