Sir James Colyer-Fe
rgusson
In 1969, Sir James Colyer-Fergusson created the Trust to give something back to the county he loved. Sir James was an extremely modest man who never sought profile or publicity for his philanthropy, but through the work of the Trust his name lives on as a fitting and permanent memorial to his generosity and philanthropy.
In our fiftieth year, we celebrated Sir James’s life by funding a range of projects and hosting a series of events. The year began with the launch of our successful Kent Fixers project, an initiative that celebrated the voice of Kent’s young people. 30 young people were given the opportunity to create resources, including videos, to raise awareness about issues that were important to them with the objective of letting young people make a meaningful, positive difference to the lives of other young people. The Trust then made a significant gift of land to ellenor hospice. Over the summer months the trustees reviewed a series of major grant proposals and made flagship grants in the autumn which will serve as memorials to Sir James’ legacy. To end the year, the Trust held a prestigious awards event, celebrating and rewarding some of the best charities it had funded in the last decade.
Colyer-Fergusson Charity Awards 2019
On 7 November 2019 we hosted the Colyer-Fergusson Charity Awards at Shakespeare’s Underglobe on London’s South Bank. It was a fantastic opportunity to recognise and reward some of Kent’s most outstanding charities and community groups. The awards gave us the opportunity to thank organisations that the Trust has funded and show them how much we appreciate what they do. After all, it is only through their hard work and dedication that Colyer-Fergusson’s funds have made a lasting positive difference to some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised young people in Kent.
There were seven prestigious awards presented on the night:
Church and Charities in Partnership – the best use of a grant by a church-based charity making an impact on its community. The finalists were:
Gap – Thanet Community Project – winner
Diocese of Rochester
Minster Abbey
- Community Impact – the best use of a grant by a small community group or grassroots charity, working at the very heart of their community. The finalists were:
Communigrow
Switch Youth Cafe – winner
Thanet Community Forest School
- Unlocking Opportunities – the most innovative use of a grant to break down the barriers to employment for young people with poverty of opportunity. The finalists were:
The Family Trust
Kent Film Foundation
Sheppey Matters
Thanet Community Development Trust – winner
- Supporting individuals – recognising the charity that has made the greatest difference to young people through our partnership scheme making small hardship grants to individuals. The finalists were:
Carers First
Porchlight
Romney Resource Centre – winner and overall winner
- Building Resilience – the best use of a grant to improve the self-confidence and self-esteem of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in Kent. The finalists were:
Maidstone and Mid Kent Mind
Young Lives Foundation
Woodpecker Wood – winner
- Turning Young Lives Around – the most innovative use of a grant to improve the lives of young people with complex issues or those presenting with anti-social behaviour. The finalists were:
Dandelion Time
Kent Refugee Action Network – winner
Kenward Trust
- Focus on Kent – the best use of a grant by a national organisation that has extended its reach into Kent, sharing learning from other areas and making an impact in the county. The finalists were:
Construction Youth Trust – winner
School Home Support
Young Women’s Trust
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Fixers investigates Poverty of Opportunity in Kent – a CFCT 50th anniversary flagship project
Visit the CFCT-Fixers microsite here
