Championing change: Local charities and community groups gather at Isle of Wight event

Photo: Retrieved from onthewight.com

His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant for the Isle of Wight, Susie Sheldon, hosted a celebratory event on 8th June to recognise the hard work and dedication of community groups and charities based on the Island, along with representatives from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) who help to fund them.

‘Seeing is Believing’

A ‘Seeing is Believing’ event held at the Royal Yacht Squadron offered community groups the opportunity to showcase recently funded work to a number of individuals, business supporters and donors from the Island and Hampshire, whilst an evening reception in the Pavilion celebrated the many innovative and energetic groups who work tirelessly to support the Island’s people.

Groups showcased during the Seeing is Believing event included IW Youth Trust, Saturday Club for Deaf Children, Ability Dogs 4 Young People – who brought along several assistance dogs, and Bodster Equine Therapy who brought along ‘Tippy’ the horse.

Over the period 2017 – 2022 HIWCF made grants to small community groups and charities supporting Island people to the tune of £1.2million, with grants awarded during 2022 in the region of more than £219,000.