In its latest funding round, the Wolfson Foundation has awarded over £12 million in grants to capital projects across education, science, culture and health in all four nations of the UK.
As the UK faces the ongoing effects of the pandemic, many of the grants awarded in this round will support organisations to respond to immediate and longer-term challenges in society.
Global challenges
Much of our funding for science and medicine aims to harness research to address pressing global issues. The University of Stirling receives £1 million for research that aims to improve the sustainability of the oceans and food supply systems by improving modern aquaculture – the cultivation of fish, seafood and aquatic plants. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for experimental science, the University’s National Aquaculture Technology & Innovation Hub (NATIH) will allow researchers to tackle the major challenges facing aquaculture producers, such as fish welfare and managing environmental impacts.
A grant of £1.1 million to Newcastle University will provide biomedical engineering equipment. As part of a new Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering, the award will advance the creation of new medical devices, such as those to prevent seizures in patients with epilepsy, as well as research into tissue engineering, and rapid medical imaging and diagnostics.
Supporting wellbeing
Capital funding is also being used by our latest grant holders for projects to tackle loneliness, social isolation and poor mental health, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
In Cornwall, Sea Sanctuary will provide innovative mental health support which will improve health outcomes and help to prevent deaths through suicide of young people and adults experiencing poor mental health as a result of trauma. A 55-metre Dutch coaster known as the ‘ARC’ will provide support at the point of crisis and aftercare. Supported by a grant of £50,000, Sea Sanctuary are repurposing the coaster and quayside in Falmouth to provide a unique floating wellbeing service.
The ‘ARC’ is being repurposed by Sea Sanctuary to provide mental health support in Falmouth
At the other end of the UK, Age Scotland Orkney receive £45,000 to refurbish a historic building in Kirkwall. They will create a community hub with indoor and outdoor spaces for activities to connect older people, people living with dementia and their families on the island.
Grants to 19 secondary schools and sixth form colleges for science and technology laboratories and facilities for the creative and performing arts will also support a generation of young people whose learning has been affected by the pandemic.
Promoting sustainability
In the context of rising energy costs and the climate crisis, our new Sustainability Fund has awarded £760,000 in targeted grants to help organisations reduce both their energy bills and their environmental impact. Projects supported in the first round of the fund include restoring a hydroelectric power turbine, energy-efficient glazing and installing solar panels.
A second round of the fund will open for applications in the autumn.
Looking to the future
The London Museum by night © Stanton Williams, Secchi Smith and Asif Khan Studio/Mir
Despite challenges in society, many of the projects we have supported have an ambitious vision for the future. We have awarded grants totalling over £1.5 million to redevelop museums including the Museum of London’s new site at West Smithfield (opening in 2026 as The London Museum), Hull Maritime Museum and Poole Museum. This funding will not only create new opportunities for people to discover local heritage but will also be part of wider projects that put culture at the heart of rejuvenating towns and cities.
The map below shows our latest awards across the UK.
Images: Hull Museums, Sea Sanctuary and Stanton Williams, Secchi Smith and Asif Khan Studio/Mir.
