The Wolfson Foundation has today announced its latest round of grants, with around 65 organisations across the UK receiving a share of over £14 million for capital projects, focussing primarily on research and education.
Organisations supported in this funding round span from the Isles of Scilly to the Outer Orkneys, with projects ranging from historic building restoration, gallery redevelopments and upgraded theatre facilities, to specialist laboratory equipment, early intervention support hubs, and the creation of a new public astronomical observatory.
Through our funding for scientific research infrastructure, the University of Salford receives a £700,000 grant towards specialist equipment for its new Rehabilitation and Movement Evaluation and Development Centre (REMEDY). This facility will support the research and development of new mobility aids and orthotic and prosthetic devices, all of which will be tested in real‑world settings. It will also address critical needs such as fall prevention, support for people with diabetes and amputee rehabilitation, by providing clear evidence of patient benefits.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens receives a £600,000 grant through our public engagement with science programme. The award will support the restoration of the organisation’s historic glasshouses, as well as the creation of new visitor facilities to boost learning and engagement with science, plants and environmental issues.
Interior Picture Gallery at Hospitalfield. Photo Lance Aitken
We are pleased to support cultural organisations across the UK through our funding for heritage, humanities and the arts. Hospitalfield Trust in Arbroath will use its £150,000 grant towards the restoration of Hospitalfield House and the creation of a collections study centre. Through our funding for the performing arts, Britten Pears Arts receive a £100,000 grant to refurbish their education, rehearsal and performance facilities at the Britten Pears Building at Snape Maltings, Suffolk.
Aldeburgh Young Musicians Taiko Drumming Day. Credit Britten Pears Arts
Museums and galleries receiving awards in this funding round include the Egypt Centre at Swansea University, the only museum dedicated to ancient Egyptian antiquities in Wales. The Centre will use its £100,000 grant to help refurbish the House of Death Gallery, which will include the creation of an immersive learning space. In Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly Museum Association will use its £100,000 award to support the fit out of galleries in a new Cultural Centre and Museum, showcasing the maritime, archaeological, natural and domestic history of the Isles.
Through our health and disability funding we support charities working with disability and mental health, organisations providing care and services for older people and hospices.
Age NI receives an £80,000 award towards the refurbishment of the Age NI Centre for Ageing in Belfast, providing the charity with accessible, confidential space in which to deliver support services for older people and carers.
Age NI First Connect. Image courtesy of Age NI
Area 43 will use its £57,700 award to create a youth café and Early Support Hub in Lampeter, Ceredigion. Working in partnership with Stage Goat Theatre Company, the space will be dedicated to supporting young people facing challenges with mental and physical health.
In the West Midlands, Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation will use its £50,000 grant for the redevelopment of Charlemont Community Centre (C3). The Foundation’s new centre will provide essential services that enhance mental and physical well-being, promote social inclusion, and support those most in need.
View a map of the Foundation’s latest funding.
Read more about our funding for places.
Top image: School group in an educational session in the Glasshouses. Photo credit Irina Mackie, image owned by Birmingham Botanical Gardens
