By Jo Ash CBE, HIWCF Trustee
I know how vital small charities and grassroots groups are to our communities because I’ve worked in and alongside the voluntary sector for more than 30 years. They are the heartbeat of local life – agile, trusted and embedded – often working with the most marginalised people and places that larger systems simply can’t reach.
This Small Charity Week 2025 is a chance not only to celebrate these organisations, but to recognise the very real pressures they face, and to ensure they get the support they need to keep going.
Around 96% of all UK charities have incomes under £1 million*. That’s a staggering fact. These are often volunteer-led, stretched for resources, and juggling governance, service delivery and fundraising all at once. Many rely on a handful of dedicated individuals, often friends or family, who are simultaneously trustees, managers, and frontline staff. This model speaks volumes about their commitment, but it also creates challenges when it comes to sustainable management and robust governance. As a Trustee at HIWCF, I know that we understand this, and we fund with those realities in mind.
Small grants, big change
AT HIWCF are proud to champion Hampshire and Isle of Wight small charities and nonprofit organisations. Our role is to connect local donors with the local causes that matter most – helping small, often unseen organisations survive, grow and thrive.
Our funding is always underpinned by a core principle: addressing poverty and inequality. This is our golden thread and the lens through which we assess need and ensure our grants reach those facing the greatest disadvantage. Whether it’s supporting a domestic abuse service, funding an advice service in a deprived area, or helping a grassroots group tackle youth disengagement or mental health issues, our goal is to reduce disadvantage and open up opportunities.
Take Safe New Futures for example, its Resilience and Employment project in Southampton and Havant focussed on providing young people living with mental health issues and disabilities the tools they needed to overcome long-term barriers to employment. In Southampton, 10% of 16 to 17 year olds are not in employment, education or training (NEET). The project provided essential support to 102 people, helping develop their work readiness skills and improving their mental and physical wellbeing.
Or there’s A Band of Brothers, which works with young men involved in the criminal justice system in Portsmouth, HIWCF funding enabled it to run a 10-week 1:1 mentoring programme. As a result of their work, 97% of young men experienced increased feelings of hopefulness, motivation, and possibility about their lives, 95% felt improved levels of responsibility and accountability for their lives and actions, and 78% managed to increase their control of addiction.
These are not just statistics – they are stories of hope, dignity, and local people volunteering as mentors to lift each other up. It’s the reason I worked in the sector for as long as I did, and the motivation to become a HIWCF Trustee. I will I step down from this role shortly, having proudly served my maximum 9 years permitted term of office. However I do still continue as a volunteer trustee with two other local charities and I urge anyone with some free time and a commitment to their local area to get involved in supporting a local voluntary group – it’s immensely satisfying to help make a difference in the diverse communities in which we live.
Encouraging sustainable giving
This year we launched Give Together, Give Local, a campaign that encourages individuals, families, and local businesses to give back to the communities they love. From setting up a named fund, to leaving a legacy gift, to making a monthly donation, every act of generosity helps to build a stronger, fairer region.
It’s this local, place-based model that makes HIWCF so effective. We’re rooted in the area and communities we serve, we work collaboratively with local umbrella and infrastructure organisations to understand the organisations working on the ground, and we work hard to keep our processes accessible and proportionate for small groups.
Building resilience from the ground up
Small charities bring so much more than services, they strengthen community connections and bring empathy, deep rooted community knowledge, trust and innovation. But they cannot be taken for granted. They need flexible funding, capacity building support, and recognition that running a small charity today is a complex, demanding job.
At HIWCF, we’re committed to doing our part: listening, supporting and advocating for the small organisations whose work is anything but small.
So, this Small Charity Week, let’s raise our voices for the volunteers, people and projects quietly transforming lives on our doorstep, and ensure they have the tools and trust they need to continue.
Because when we give together, we really do grow stronger – locally, fairly, and for the long term.
* https://smallcharitiesdata.org/topic/the-number-of-small-charities/
Give Together, Give Local
Learn more about Give Together, Give Local and how you can get involved, or choose a fund to find out more about below.