Community groups and local charities across Norfolk and Suffolk are being given the chance to share in a £27,000 cash windfall, after a firm of chartered accountants and financial planners opened its community fund up for its latest grants round.
The Lovewell Blake Community Fund gives out grants of up to £2,000 to charities, voluntary groups and community organisations, distributing money raised by staff and partners at the firm during the past year.
In the last grants round £30,000 was shared by 25 organisations, with grants ranging from £200 to £2,000 going to a wide variety of good causes including youth groups, village halls, local sports groups, churches and a Men’s Shed group.
The Lovewell Blake Community Fund was set up in 2008 to mark the firm’s 150th anniversary, with the aim of raising £150,000 for local charities and community groups. To date the fund has given out grants worth over £420,000. The fund is administered by the Norfolk Community Foundation, in partnership with its counterpart in Suffolk.
“We are delighted to open the latest grants round from our Community Fund,” said Tracy Cox, chair of Lovewell Blake’s fundraising committee and grants panel. “It is a real pleasure to receive applications from smaller, local groups, as these are the organisations working at grassroots level in our communities which can really make a big difference.
“We are keen to receive grant applications from small community groups with an annual income of less than £50,000, and especially those which have a high degree of volunteer involvement. Grants can cover the costs of small capital items such as sports equipment.
“We have worked hard with the Community Foundations to make the application process simple, and I would urge organisations to come forward and bid for a share of this year’s fund.”
Community groups interested in applying for a grant from the Lovewell Blake Community Fund can find out more at https://www.norfolkfoundation.com/funding-support/grants/groups/lovewell-blake-fund. Applications close on Monday 13th April.
Case Study: Ketteringham Hall Cricket Club
One recipient of a grant in the 2025 Lovewell Blake Community Fund grants round was Ketteringham Hall Cricket club, which received £2,000 which enabled it to purchase a brand new bowling machine to help with training men, women, boys and girls across a wide range of ages who use the club.
“The machine gives us much more opportunity to face that range of deliveries,” said Emily Thomson, women’s co-ordinator at the club.
“The ladies’ team has only been going for about 18 months, so we are all still getting used to facing lots of different speeds, and different kind of balls. The machine will give us to spend more time training in the net, be a little bit more independent as a female team and extend the amount of time we can spend training – and massively improves the facilities we all have access to.”
Piers Ranger, chairperson at the club, said, “It’s really great having this bowling machine, because it gives us consistency, and allows all the batters to be able to look at the different speeds, and how to react to the balls that are coming down. It’s a real asset and benefit for the club.”