Connecting Communities: Highlights from Meet the Funders Spring Event 2025
On Tuesday, 6th May, the St Erme Community Centre brimmed with energy as around 80 voluntary, faith-based, and social action groups gathered for the Meet the Funders Spring event, hosted by Transformation Cornwall and the Diocese of Truro.
The event provided an opportunity for churches and social action organisations across Cornwall to connect and learn about funding opportunities.Representatives from The National Lottery Community Fund, National Churches Trust, Cornwall Women’s Fund, Cornwall Community Foundation, ASDA Foundation, Cornwall Historic Churches Trust and FEAST Cornwall were present to share insights and resources.
Clinton Sealy, Operations Director at Transformation Cornwall, said: ”We were thrilled to see such a fantastic turnout of community and faith groups at our Meet the Funders Spring event. Our theme for this year, Building Strong and Inclusive Communities, emphasised how we can all contribute through our work to fostering greater understanding and unity. The event is all about forging connections_ giving social action and faith groups the chance to meet one another and engage directly with funders about projects aimed at tackling inequalities and improving lives across Cornwall. I’m excited to keep these conversations going and to support these dedicated groups through our one-to-one services and year-round workshops.”
The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. A survey conducted at the end of the day revealed that 96% of respondents left the event with a greater knowledge of funding sources and 86% with an increased confidence in applying for funding.
Rebecca Evans, Ministry Development and Inclusion Officer for the Diocese of Truro, said: “It has been wonderful to once again partner again with Transformation Cornwall on the Meet the Funders programme, now in its 13th year. The continued popularity of this event highlights how needed these opportunities are for connecting community and faith groups with each other and with funders.
“It was encouraging to see the rich breadth of work that goes on - often driven by enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers. Our hope is that this programme enables such work to be fruitful, sustainable and inclusive within the diverse communities we seek to serve.”
The success of Meet the Funders Spring was made possible through generous support from the National Lottery Community Fund, The Benefact Trust, and Cornwall Community Foundation.
Shannon Lenton Community Outreach Officer at Cornwall Community Foundation commented: “It was brilliant to be a part of this year's 'Meet the Funders'. A big thanks to the Transformation Cornwall team for organising the event. It was a great way to connect with more community groups in the area, share a bit about Cornwall Community Foundation, and learn about other funders empowering Cornish communities.”
Due to high demand, the free places for the Spring 2025 edition were sold out a month prior to the event. However, Transformation Cornwall commissioned the video recording of the live presentations, which will be available online by the end of May.
Copy of the Powerpoint presentations are already available on our website resources page.
