On Friday, 27th March, guests, including grantees from two funding rounds, came together at Growing Local CIC’s Southside Farm for a special event marking the impact of George’s Fund. The day provided a valuable chance to connect with the inspiring projects supported by the fund and to hear directly how the Fund has made a meaningful difference so far.

Since the fund was set up in 2020 by Laura Hughes to celebrate the short and meaningful life of her son George, £179,000 has been raised to support projects for children aged 3 to 11 in Herefordshire. There have been two successful rounds of funding, with awards for 17 projects, providing opportunities for outdoor learning, reflection and fun for over 5000 children.

The morning started with a welcome from Laura and Herefordshire Community Foundation CEO, Bridie Sullivan. This was followed by a few of the funded organisations, including Marches Family Network, Hope Support Services and Longtown Outdoors, speaking about their projects and how the funding has made a difference.

The rest of the day was spent with small groups walking and talking across the farm, giving people a chance to learn more about the work Growing Local does and participate in hands-on activities, including preparing and cooking lunch using produce from the farm, sowing seeds and exploring the gardens.

It was a really relaxed and informal day, giving everyone the chance to connect and see the impact of the fund in a more tangible way.

The fund took the opportunity to announce the launch of a third round of funding. Further details of this can be found on the George’s Fund page.