Announcing successful grant recipients
Announcing successful grant recipients
We’re thrilled to announce that seven incredible organisations have been awarded Core Funding to support their vital work: Alive Activities, Age UK Bristol, Age UK South Gloucestershire, Bristol After Stroke, Swan Advice Network (B&NES), WE Care Home Improvements, and West of England Rural Network.
A huge thank you to everyone
who applied, we received many fantastic expressions of interest and full
applications. With limited funds, we could only support a few, but we truly
appreciate the passion and dedication shown by all.
1. Alive Activities
Alive is a leading UK charity dedicated to enriching the lives of older people and their carers, especially those living with dementia. Through innovative projects and meaningful activities in care homes and communities, Alive fosters engagement, physical wellbeing, and connection.
“At a time when core, unrestricted funding feels almost impossible to obtain, St Monica Trust is showing its commitment to the VCSE by opening up core grant opportunities. They are demonstrating their understanding of the needs of local charities and also the value of the sector itself - it’s so refreshing to see this. We can’t thank SMT enough for awarding this grant to us, it makes a massive difference and we can’t wait to carry on delivering our valuable and much needed work in supporting our older people of Bristol and surrounding areas.”
2. Age UK Bristol
Age UK Bristol works to improve the lives of older adults in the city by offering support, empowerment, and advocacy. They collaborate with other organisations and champion the interests of older people through a wide range of services.
“This funding is something of a game-changer for Age UK Bristol. We work hard to ensure that the costs of delivering good services to older people are fully funded, but our core costs are so much harder to cover. It is rare to find grants for those hidden back-office costs that aren't about direct delivery of services to the public - but those costs are vital to ensure that we can continue to be there for older people. This grant will enable us to continue our great service delivery but crucially, it will help us to invest time and energy into our financial sustainability. That is key, because it's through that stability, that we will be able to grow the range of services and support for older people.”
3. Age UK South Gloucestershire
Age UK South Gloucestershire is an independent charity supporting some of the most vulnerable older people in the county. Over the past two years, they have experienced a dramatic rise in demand for their services, more than doubling, placing significant strain on their dedicated staff.
“We are incredibly thankful to St Monicas for this grant. Core funding is rare, and we are incredibly grateful. This money will go a long way to helping meet the increased demands on our services. Thank you to St Monica's for continuing to support the older people in our area."
4. Bristol After Stroke
Bristol After Stroke is a small, independent charity that has supported people to rebuild their lives after stroke across Bristol and South Gloucestershire for over 43 years. Its person-centred services include home-based support, peer-led groups and cafés, physical rehabilitation courses, and emotional support through counselling and mentoring.
“We are so grateful to the St Monica Trust Charitable Foundation. With core funding for these roles, we are better equipped to plan for the long term, adapt to changing needs, and expand our reach.”
5. Swan Advice Network (in B&NES)
SWAN Transport has supported older, disabled, and low-income residents in Bath and North East Somerset for over 40 years. Since 2001, its Volunteer Transport Service has been at the heart of its work, with volunteers using their own cars to help older people reach healthcare appointments, social groups, and local amenities, often providing the only means of travel for those facing mobility challenges, ill health, or financial barriers.
More than just transport, the service fosters emotional and social wellbeing. Volunteers offer companionship on journeys, helping to ease loneliness. Since 2019, SWAN has also run monthly Cuppa & Chat gatherings for its most isolated passengers, described by many as “the friendliest group” and, for some, their only regular social contact.
“We are thrilled to receive a Core Funding grant from the St Monica Trust, which will cover essential behind-the-scenes costs such as rent, utilities, IT, insurance, and additional staff time. This vital support will help us sustain over the year ahead, allow us to improve efficiency, recruit and train more volunteers, and expand our service capacity. Ultimately, this generous grant will ensure more older BANES residents can live happy, healthy, and connected lives.”
6. WE Care Home Improvements
We Care Home Improvements is a values-led, not-for-profit Home Improvement Agency with nearly 40 years’ experience helping people live safely and independently at home. Operating across Bristol, BANES, and Gloucestershire, the organisation is deeply embedded in local health pathways and trusted by professionals across health and social care.
Their trauma-informed approach brings together caseworkers, surveyors, and handypersons to deliver early intervention, personalised support, and integrated services. Their proven track record in home adaptations and repairs improves lives while easing pressure on health and care systems.
“Receiving funding from St Monica to support core costs in our organisation is invaluable for us, with so much funding from others directed towards delivery. The ability to develop our core processes, data capture, reporting and analysis will have a multiplier effect on the number of people we will be able to support, and the efficiency with which we will do this”
7. West of England Rural Network
WERN works to build sustainable, resilient, and inclusive rural communities across the West of England. The charity supports locally led initiatives and ensures rural needs are recognised by policymakers and service providers.
“We’re absolutely delighted to be awarded core funding from St Monica Trust. WERN has a strong track record of supporting older people in rural communities across the West of England, however we operate on a shoestring, and this has limited our ability to develop and find new ways of increasing our impact. This investment from St Monica will help us to cover core organisational costs and explore opportunities for securing more diverse income aligned with an ambitious new strategy we are developing.”