• Grants to individuals in need have included help towards disability aids, respite care, personal alarm systems, and household equipment.  

• An annual grant is made to Upton Primary School to expand facilities and extra-mural activities. The Trust also helps other local schools.

• School students have received grants for attending sports training camps, dance, theatre and music courses; travel with Scouts, Guides and other recognised groups; and taking part in school-organised expeditions such as British Schools Exploring Society, Raleigh International and World Challenge. Family income may be taken into account in deciding on a grant.

• All young people under 25 going on to further education or training are eligible for a grant towards the initial costs of books or equipment.

• Grants have been given to the Village Hall, towards the costs of extensions and refurbishments and to the Parish Council for purchasing of play equipment for pre-school-age children at the Recreation Field. Various youth organisations in the village have benefitted from smaller grants.

•  The Trust may help other local charities involved in advancing education or improving peoples’ lives through their leisure time. Sports clubs may qualify if their memberships are open to any resident, provided the Club benefits school-age children.

“Throughout my university career, I received various grants from the Trust. The grants helped me tremendously. During my first year I was able to use it to pay for textbooks and other supplies. I also used the grant as my deposit for my London flat as well as a bit of living expenses during my internship at a start-up. This was carried over to be used for various house deposits. Finally, the grant paid for my air tickets and some rent for my academic exchange semester at NTU in Singapore. The support from Lady Downe meant that I was able to take full advantage of my degree, with less financial stress. These experiences have taught me so much and put me in a very advantageous position going forward in my career”. 

“In June 2018, I was lucky enough to travel to Uganda with the charity East African Playgrounds. Being in my second year of university, it’s unlikely I’d have been able to have this experience without the generosity of the Lady Downe Trust. The grant I received enabled me to help EAP to really make a difference to the lives of local children by building a playground in a village boarding school. I also trekked into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to observe the last mountain gorillas in the wild, aiding their conservation, and go on safari in Murchison Falls National Park. This was amazing and very beneficial to my degree in Animal Behaviour. During my month in Uganda I met people from all over the world, gaining insight into different cultures, beliefs and ways of life. This was a once in a lifetime trip, and I am incredibly grateful to the Trustees of the Lady Downe Trust, without whom I would not have made these lifelong memories and friends.”

“With the assistance of a small grant from the Lady Downe Trust, I went abroad for a week this summer with a group, to help run a youth activity camp for disadvantaged children. It was the most incredible and thought provoking time, allowing us to reflect on how fortunate we are and how the simplest gesture of care can mean so much. From Saturday to Wednesday we led sports with the children, including dodgeball, volleyball and duck, duck, goose which we managed to learn in the local language (pateshka, pateshka, guska). It was amazing seeing how we connected with the children through sport despite the language barrier. We taught the children lots of English songs such as heads, shoulders, knees and toes and in return the young people taught us traditional dances which took a very similar form to Irish dancing!

On Thursday and Friday we visited the villages where lots of the children lived; the stark poverty and shocking living conditions were very hard to process especially when the young people had such joy despite coming from so little. We took part in face painting the younger children, which they loved, alongside "flying" which involved throwing the kids in the air and catching them with lots of laughter included! It was so interesting learning the culture of these children who suffer mass discrimination whilst attending school due to their upbringing in their communities and the darker colour of their skin. Their resilience is inspirational and we came home with huge respect for the dedication the children have to receive an education. 

Alongside our youth group, we delivered a "baby box" to a family in the village who had welcomed a newborn baby boy in the past month. The box contained lots of necessities that the family couldn't otherwise afford, such as clothes, milk powder, bottles and nappies; it was remarkable seeing the joy on the family's face after accepting this box and we were extremely privileged to be able to pray for the safety and provision for the family. The entire week was incredibly eye-opening; we flew home with fuller hearts and a deeper understanding of what it means to love others regardless of our background.”

“I was awarded a grant from the Lady Downe Trust some years ago having applied to secure some extra funding for a trip to Sri Lanka as part of my medical training. During my 4th year of study at Bristol University, students were encouraged to use the time allocated for their ‘elective’ to experience medicine somewhere totally different. 

I was interested in Paediatric medicine at the time and chose to visit Sri Lanka having never visited this part of the world. I spent 4 weeks at the Kandy General Hospital with the funds that I had received being used to pay for my flights and accommodation while I was away. I had an incredible experience, both on a cultural and educational level and without the financial help this wouldn’t have been possible. My time away gave me a really unique experience of healthcare in a developing country and consolidated my interest and enthusiasm for paediatric medicine. 

I have since gone on to qualify as a consultant paediatrician and am in no doubt that this early exposure was an essential part of my journey. I do hope to return to Kandy one day - it is such a beautiful city and the people are so kind and welcoming. I feel huge gratitude to the Lady Downe Trust for contributing to this experience all those years ago and would encourage anyone needing extra funding for education or training to apply.”

“I am writing to update you on progress with my postgraduate study at the University of Bristol, for which I was awarded the Lady Downe Award.

My project involves understanding the shape determination in an early-diverging land plant called Marchantia, which is a liverwort. These are small plants you might find in the garden in moist soil (or even on tree trunks in damp woods) and are closely related to mosses. Plants more generally have evolved a wide variety of forms resulting in spectacular arrays of plant shape. By understanding how shape is determined in such early-diverging species like the liverworts, it allows us to understand what traits of shape determination have been conserved through evolutionary history and are relevant in economically important crops like the cereals. 

During my Master’s so far, I have spent a lot of time in the lab learning exciting new techniques as well as presenting some of my work to other students and learning what makes an effective researcher. I also undertook a role as a demonstrator in some undergraduate practical sessions – some of which I completed during my time on the undergraduate course here.

Unfortunately, my project has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the lab being closed during lockdown and activities only now beginning to pick up pace again at the University. This has resulted in an extension of the time I plan to spend on the project before I take any next steps in my career. 

The Lady Downe Award has helped me to focus on my studies with reduced money worries. If you could pass on my continued thanks to the Trustees, I would be most grateful. I look forward to writing with good news of completion of the course in the not too distant future.”

“I said I would share with you some photos from my travels! I had the most amazing time heading to south east Asia visiting Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bali! I would just like to thank you so very much again for your generousity as this trip wouldn’t have been possible without the grant from you!!”

Other local charities

Barnwood Trust is a charitable foundation which aims to create the best possible environment in Gloucestershire for disabled people and people with mental health problems to make the most of their lives. To find out more visit www.barnwoodtrust.org