HIWCF was delighted to host its first Seeing Is Believing visit of the year in Kempshott, Basingstoke on 1 May. This unique event provides an opportunity for HIWCF donors and fundholders to see the impact of their generosity in deprived communities within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The visit showcased two organisations – Inspero and Aurora New Dawn, which HIWCF were delighted to have supported with grant funding last year. By explaining their work and what they delivered with an HIWCF grant, they demonstrated how resourceful, passionate, small organisations make a huge amount of impact with small amounts of funding.
Growing wellbeing in Basingstoke with Inspero
Inspero is a vibrant community garden and foodbank in Kempshott, Basingstoke that works with the local community running a variety of engaging educational, hands-on growing and cooking programmes to promote healthy eating and lifestyles. Working with over 1,000 young people and over 80 families every year, its aim is to inspire local people to lead healthy lifestyles by learning about food and the outdoors and the integral roles they play in our lives. In 2018, Inspero was awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for its work supporting and empowering young people, and it has won 15 RHS awards over recent years.
There are many ways in which Inspero has supported the local community, and its impact and importance were evident through stories told by volunteers during our Seeing is Believing visit. This included a gentleman who suffered with huge physical challenges following a diagnosis of Lyme Disease which changed his life – he now supports Inspero to develop their community garden and engagement programmes; and a mother who found solace at Inspero for herself and her children during a particularly turbulent period of her life. You can read more about the impact of our funding with Inspero here.
Aurora New Dawn: empowering survivors
The second organisation which spoke during the event was Aurora New Dawn, a charity providing support to victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, violence and stalking. In 2025 it launched their dedicated Armed Forces Helpline and is the only charity in the UK to provide bespoke advice and support for active personnel in the British Armed Forces communities, wherever they are based. Aurora New Dawn support survivors through one-to-one work and advocacy, group support and helplines as well as providing specialist training services and partnerships.
We heard from Sharon, whose family has been affected by domestic abuse for four generations. After watching her daughter suffer at the hands of her coercive controlling partner, and then tragically losing her to suicide, Sharon is now bravely campaigning for a change in the law to create a specific statutory offence of manslaughter by coercive control. You can read more about the impact of our funding for Aurora New Dawn here.
Catherine Waters-Clark, Founder and CEO of Inspero
Catherine founded Inspero in 2012 as a passionate social entrepreneur, dedicated to improving lives by delivering services that educate, support, and positively impact local people.
“At Inspero we promote food education, health and mental wellbeing through our fun, engaging programmes that inspire learning and personal development. We believe that joy and education go hand in hand in helping people live healthier, happier lives. The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation have been an immense support to our charity, funding various programmes including educational projects to support young people. We would like to thank HIWCF for their amazing support over the last 13 years.”
Dr Shonagh Dillon, Founder and CEO of Aurora New Dawn
Shonagh has over three decades of experience working within the domestic and sexual violence, abuse, and stalking sector and is a driven and dynamic leader in pioneering new ways in which to support those in need. She explained that support from HIWCF has a lasting legacy well beyond the impact of the direct project it is applied to.
“The grant making format provided by HIWCF cannot be underestimated. The third sector is nimble and creative, and investment of small grants leads to much wider innovative series and practice. In addition, it provides the freedom needed to provide funding to local communities when they need it most.”
Jacqui Scott, CEO of HIWCF:
“We were so pleased to be able to spotlight two extraordinary charities and some of the inspiring people they have supported. Both organisations work in very different ways but equally make a huge difference to people’s lives. The strength of projects like these is that they are delivering impactful social support in the most creative of environments, meeting people where they are, giving them the support they need, when they need it. I found the morning inspiring and incredibly sad in equal measure. I am humbled and privileged to be able to say that in our small way we have been able to facilitate support for them both.”
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation funds work that brings people together and enables people to take part in their communities, allowing them to flourish. In 2024, we made 257 grants to charities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight totalling £1.1m. Looking ahead, we have committed to doubling our endowment funds over the next 15 years because we know that the need for our support will continue to grow. We can only do this through the generosity of our donors and fundholders, who trust our professionalism and experience to ensure that their funding has the most effective possible impact.
Our next Seeing is Believing event will be held in November, with Youth and Families Matter and HOPe New Forest. To find out more about our donor events and the breadth of programmes and support we provide across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, make sure you are signed up to our newsletters.
