Community causes across Stratford-upon-Avon benefited from more than £1,170,513 in 2024 as part of Stratford Town Trust’s grant giving programme. In total, 147 grants were awarded to community groups and charities including £35,000 to Young Minds Matter to help them promote mental health wellbeing for young people in Stratford, £22,925 to Net Zero Stratford to fund a Climate Hub Manager and £2,000 towards core costs for the Stratford-upon-Avon Little Bird Baby Bank.
Cycle Infinity CIC were awarded £2000 to start a Bicycle Bus to enable children to cycle safely to and from school. Simon Storey, Founding Director said: “The grant from the Town Trust has enabled us to start two brand new bike buses in Stratford, helping children ride to school safely and giving them a healthy, energised start to their day whilst taking traffic off the roads. Everyone loves the bike bus. One mum has said: ‘We have cycled to school and back three times this week so thank you to the Bicycle Bus to give us the confidence to do this! He loves it! And asks to cycle every day!’”
Stratford Town Women and Girls Football Club were awarded £5000 to help them deliver a sustainable growth plan. Neil Clarke, Trustee said: ”We are extremely grateful for the ongoing support from Stratford Town Trust. This support has enabled the creation of additional teams playing league football and underpins the growth of the club - who now have more than 200 girls playing football each week making it the biggest female-only club in the region."
James McHugh, Grants Manager at Stratford Town Trust said: “Our grantmaking over the past twelve months has enabled some amazing projects to take place that benefit the local community and has also provided support to charities to help them deliver their core work. We are so grateful for the work they do in our town and are proud to support them.”
Stratford Town Trust’s 2025 large grants round is open until 5 September www.stratfordtowntrust.co.uk
The full list of grants awarded in 2024 can be found below:
| 1ST BISHOPTON BROWNIES | Brownie Activities including annual holiday | £1,050 |
| 1ST BRIDGETOWN BROWNIES | Brownie Summer Camp 2024 | £570 |
| 1ST BRIDGETOWN GUIDES | Guide Summer Camp 2024 | £1,055 |
| 1ST SHOTTERY SCOUT GROUP | New campfire and educational area | £2,000 |
| 2ND STRATFORD BROWNIES | PGL trip 2024 | £1,420 |
| BISHOPTON COMMUNITY CENTRE (CIO) | Bishopton Community Centre disability accessibility | £12,886 |
| BRAIN TUMOUR SUPPORT | Brain Tumour Support Services Stratford | £12,918 |
| CITIZENS ADVICE SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE | Front line support Y3 | £66,000 |
| CITIZENS ADVICE SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE | Hardship Fund 2024 | £20,000 |
| CLOPTON COMMUNITY ACTION GROUP | Clopton Community Fun Day | £1,000 |
| COPERNICANA CIC | Stage play 'Do Not Forget me' | £2,000 |
| CYCLE INFINITY COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY | Bicycle Bus project | £2,000 |
| ENTRUST CARE PARTNERSHIP | Stratford Family Worker | £5,000 |
| FOREST OF HEARTS | Stratford Community Garden Creations | £10,000 |
| HATHAWAY QUILTERS | Increase community awareness and membership | £2,000 |
| HOME-START SOUTH WARWICKSHIRE | Core Costs | £12,480 |
| IN2THEATRE | Legend of the Vikings | £2,000 |
| LIFESPACE TRUST | Core Costs | £39,830 |
| LIVE & LOCAL | Community Film Festival 2024 | £8,350 |
| MOVE AGIANST CANCER | 5K Your way | £1,000 |
| NET ZERO STRATFORD | Core costs for Climate Hub Manager | £22,925 |
| NEW HOPE COUNSELLING | New Hope Stratford Service - Core Costs | £13,820 |
| NEW MEANING TRAINING LTD | Core, Capital and Innovation Costs | £25,000 |
| ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN | Café Muse | £15,834 |
| PAINT STRATFORD | Paint Stratford 24 | £5,000 |
| POLISH CLUB WARWICKSHIRE | Costume carnival ball for children and parents | £500 |
| POLISH SATURDAY SCHOOL IN STRATFORD | Town Family Picnic with fun activities for children | £500 |
| ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY | On-going costs for Waterside | £3,975 |
| ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY | The Welcome Space at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre | £15,000 |
| SAFELINE | Sexual Violence and its impact on males Year 2 | £60,000 |
| STRATFORD DISTRICT COUNCIL | Community Builder Project continuation | £23,000 |
| SECOND THOUGHTS DRAMA GROUP | Commissioning a set of theatre props/furniture | £450 |
| SHAKESPEARE BIRTHPLACE TRUST | New education centre | £50,000 |
| SONRISA ARTS CIC | Families Get Moving – creative dance for early years | £2,000 |
| SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF STRATFORD UPON AVON & DISTRICT | Nicol Ward Garden | £300 |
| SPRING HOUSING ASSOCIATION | Core Costs for Fred Winter Centre | £75,000 |
| ST ANDREW'S CHURCH SHOTTERY | Children and Families Worker | £12,240 |
| STRATFORD FAMILY CLUB CIC | Stratford Family Groups | £2,000 |
| STRATFORD IN BLOOM | Winter displays in the town | £5,000 |
| STRATFORD ON AVON MUSIC FESTIVAL | Singing for Fun | £1,640 |
| STRATFORD PLAYHOUSE | Community events | £78,129 |
| STRATFORD SCHOOLS SHAKESPEARE LECTURE | Schools Lecture 25 | £320 |
| STRATFORD SEA CADETS | Boating equipment upgrade | £6,650 |
| STRATFORD SHARKS ASC SWIMMING CLUB | Hardship and Training support | £6,250 |
| STRATFORD TOWN GIRLS FOOTBALL CLUB | Stratford Town Women and Girls FC Sustainable Growth Plan | £5,000 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON BOWLING CLUB | Flood restoration work | £1,490 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON & DISTRICT TABLE TENNIS ASSOCIATION | Core costs | £2,000 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON CHRISTMAS LIGHTS CO LTD | Removal of lights Christmas 2024 | £5,000 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON KAYAKS | Coach training | £1,800 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON LITTLE BIRD BABY BANK | Core costs | £2,000 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON SPORTS CLUB | Stratford Sporting Memories Club | £3,840 |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON TABLE TENNIS CLUB | PING Stratford upon Avon | £710 |
| STRATFORD-ON-AVON CATENIAN CIRCLE | Volunteer Expenses | £1,000 |
| STRATFORD-UPON-AVON CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY | Chamber Music Concerts | £2,000 |
| STRATFORD-UPON-AVON SOCIETY | Marie Corelli Centenary | £1,000 |
| STRATFORWARD BID T/A STRATFORD UPON AVON BID | Stratford Christmas lights switch on event | £2,000 |
| STROKE ASSOCIATION STRATFORD UPON AVON SUPPORT GROUP | Ongoing therapy support | £1,000 |
| STRATFORD YOUTH COLLECTIVE | Stratford Youth Collective core costs | £100,000 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Bandstand Programme 2024 | £2,200 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | FH licensee costs | £1675 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Gaming Club at Community Hub - grant in kind | £1,000 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Band practice grant in kind | £500 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Extended Warm Hub Activities | £500 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Maureen Becket Songs of Praise | £1,000 |
| STRATFORD TOWN TRUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Welcome Here - Support for refugees given leave to remain | £2,000 |
| STT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | Live grant making at the Fun Palace | £1,000 |
| TDC STRATFORD YOUTH THEATRE CIC | #ONMAFA 2030 | £1,500 |
| THE MYTON HOSPICES | Core costs | £40,500 |
| THE PARENTING PROJECT | Family Wellbeing Pathway | £51,384 |
| THE SHAKESPEARE HOSPICE | Core costs | £40,000 |
| THOMAS JOLYFFE PRIMARY SCHOOL | Outdoor learning equipment | £12,500 |
| TIME4HOPE | Time 2Unite project | £17,714 |
| VASA | Core costs | £25,000 |
| WARWICKSHIRE INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY (WIAS) | The history of N.C.Joseph Aluminium Works, Stratford and Stratford Produce Canners | £2,000 |
| WARWICKSHIRE SEARCH AND RESCUE (WARKSAR) | Dog training equipment | £500 |
| YOUNG MINDS MATTER | Core costs and Tackling Inequality in Health | £35,000 |
| Schools Headcount and Hardship awards 2024 | ||
| ALCESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL | £4,834 | |
| ALVESTON C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL | £11,956 | |
| BISHOPTON PRIMARY SCHOOL | £14,534 | |
| BRIDGETOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL | £16,732 | |
| HOLY TRINITY C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL | £17,728 | |
| NEW MEANING TRAINING LTD | £6,243 | |
| SHOTTERY ST ANDREW'S C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL | £8,001 | |
| ST GREGORYS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL | £10,960 | |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON COLLEGE | £11,927 | |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR GIRLS | £10,023 | |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON PRIMARY SCHOOL | £11,898 | |
| STRATFORD UPON AVON SCHOOL | £42,806 | |
| THOMAS JOLYFFE PRIMARY SCHOOL | £15,648 | |
| WELCOMBE HILLS SCHOOL | £7,298 | |
| WILMCOTE PRIMARY SCHOOL | £1,436 | |
| ST BENEDICTS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | £2,314 |