Community Grant Awards
As we all know, fundraising remains a challenge for many charities. However, last year we had an amazing year, raising a fantastic £443,000.
This much needed funding enabled us to continue to make Community Grant donations in March, through our End of Year Awards, supporting charities local to our vehicle plant in Derbyshire, as well as our Engine Plant in North Wales.
Find out more about the charities we support
Current Charities We're Supporting
Wales Air Ambulance
Funded entirely by donations, it costs Wales Air Ambulance £11.2m annually to deliver vital lifesaving, advanced medical care to people across the North Wales region.
In March 2025, the Trust donated £5,000 to fund handheld portable radios and to support with their rising fuel costs.
Annie Lawrie, Grant and Trust Fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance, said “We believe everyone in Wales deserves fast, critical care wherever and whenever they need us. We are so grateful to the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust for this donation, which has helped us deliver our lifesaving service across North Wales.”
Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance
Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance receive no government funding and their life saving missions are fuelled purely by donations.
Each year, more than £69,000 is spent on medical consumables which are single use items used to treat patients in the field until reaching hospital.
Our 2024 fundraising activities enabled us to proudly support towards those costs with a donation of £5,000 in March this year.
It is a privilege and an honour to support Derbyshire Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.
Burton & District Mind
Affiliated to Mind, the leading mental health charity in England & Wales, Burton & District Mind aim to provide access to good quality mental health advice, guidance and meaningful support in the community.
Following a recent survey highlighting the need for more physical projects to support mental health, the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust helped to fund 'Bat & Chat' - a 12 week programme of cricket and psychoeducation run in partnership with Rolleston Cricket Club.
Some of TMUK's Trustees were lucky to join a recent session where they had the opportunity to master the game of cricket and put their skills to the test. A huge thank you to Burton & District Mind for the opportunity to meet some amazing people whilst having lots of fun!
Keri Lawrence, Development & Sustainability Officer,Burton & District Mind said "It's still there isn't it? The odd ideas some people still have about mental health problems - perhaps the myth is that recovery is all about medication or must come from the NHS. Our reality is people with mental health problems are still capable and active and can have fun - they just need a helping hand. Burton and District Mind and the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust, together with our cricketing friends, have come together to deliver something very special right in the heart of Burton-on-Trent. We have put together a project that combines sports and wellbeing activities, both of which contribute to improved wellbeing, a sense of belonging and builds self-esteem. We are grateful to the Toyota team for actively supporting our wonderfully received project. We all deserve good mental health, and together we'll get everyone there".
Look Good Feel Better
Look Good Feel Better is dedicated to improving the quality of life and self-esteem of people undergoing cancer treatment. The programme offers complimentary group and individual sessions that teach beauty techniques to help people with cancer to face their diagnosis with greater confidence.
Despite Covid restrictions, their vital work continued through a range of virtual workshops when the online experience offered live instruction and tips for dealing with appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Advice on skincare and makeup, haircare, nail care, women’s body confidence and gentle chair-based exercises, including pilates, tai chi, yoga, meditation and breath work were available.
Fast forward and today their face-to-face workshops have returned. LGFB Volunteer, Lu Wright commented: “It’s great to be back, the ladies love every minute, they chat, laugh, make new friends and feel safe, feeling proud at Royal Derby Hospital”.
Following a donation of £2,000 from the Trust earlier this year, funding will support much needed workshops at the Royal Derby Hospital.
Carry on the fantastic work!
Watch the thank you video here
me&dee
me & dee has a simple mission - to ensure families going through difficult and uncertain times are gifted with memories they can treasure, never losing sight of what truly matters. Every family they support has a family member who is nearing the end of their life.
As well as offering memory making breaks, this amazing charity offer personal memory boxes. No two boxes are the same and are filled with a range of items, including the forest fairy keepsake. A memory elephant, with a voice recorder, allows lasting messages to be left is also included, as is room for families to add their own treasures.
The Trust is proud to support the purchase of 80 Memory Boxes for families to treasure and to make memories that will last a life time.
Maria Hanson MBE Founder/CEO said ‘These memory gifts make such a difference to our families, adding to what is often a last holiday together, giving the families memories to treasure. We cannot thank Toyota enough for helping us to make a difference”.
Watch the thank you video here
Canine Partners - Amazing Dogs, Transforming Lives
Canine Partners is a UK charity transforming the lives of people living with disabilities by training assistance dogs. Their amazing dogs are trained to meet the needs of individuals with even the most complex physical disabilities. They currently help adults aged 18 and over (both civilians and former service personnel) who have a physical disability or condition that affects their daily life and limits their independence.
Earlier this year, the Charitable Trust was proud to finance much needed equipment for their National Training Centre which emcompasses an accommodation block that is fully accessible for people with disabilities as well as their carers. Funding contributed towards a ceiling hoist with multi-room coverage, allowing access to private bathroom facilities. (Read more about it here).
Ellie Foster, Trusts and Grants Manager, Canine Partners said “the £2,000 donation will help ensure our accessible residential accommodation is ready to welcome applicants during their on-site training with their new canine partner. We are very grateful to the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust for their generous support.”
Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY)
In Dec 2011, aged 19, Sam Wright collapsed outside his home after a run & passed away. He was studying at Derby University to be a teacher. He'd suffered a cardiac arrest due to an undiagnosed heart condition.
Twelve young people die every week of sudden cardiac death. Since its formation in 1995, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) has been working tirelessly to reduce that number. As well as promoting and developing heart screening programmes, they support young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions, offer bereavement support to affected families and fund specialist referral, screening and cardiac pathology services at leading UK hospitals.
The Friends of Sam Wright Committee was established in 2012 to raise vital funds on behalf of CRY and, since that time, have raised an incredible £90,000 in memory of Sam to finance defibrillators & heart screening events (involving an ECG) for local people.
Earlier this year, the Trust donated £5,000 to support a local screening session in Derby.
The Charitable Trust has supported this amazing charity since 2013 and will continue to do so in the future.
Circus Starr
Circus Starr is a circus with a purpose. Their mission is to transform, enrich and inspire the lives of children and families across the UK who need it most. Free tickets are given to disadvantaged, disabled or vulnerable children and their families so they can leave their worries behind and escape to the big top circus for a few hours of fun and entertainment. Following a donation of £5,000 from the Toyota Manufacturing UK Charitable Trust, children from the Derbyshire and Deeside areas will experience the thrill and magic of a live performance in 2025.
Ady Smallman from the Deeside Engine plant took his family to the Wrexham performance following a previous donation from the Trust. Diagnosed with Worster Drought syndrome at three weeks old, ten year old William absolutely loved the big top. The magical art of circus performance certainly made many happy memories, not only for William, but for the whole family.
Watch the thank you video here
Previous Recipients
Derbyshire Blood Bikes
Derbyshire Blood Bikes provide a free 24/7 medical courier service to the Royal Derby Hospital and Chesterfield Hospital. They continue to have the trust and support of both our major hospitals, saving them considerable sums of money.
Last year, they made over 8,300 journeys, over 60% to out-of-county locations, saving over £100,000 on transport costs and helping in the treatment of thousands of patients.
We are proud to support the Derbyshire Blood Bikes and are delighted to support their purchase of a BMW F900XR, new generation medium weight twin cylinder motorbike with a donation of £5,000.
Keep up the good work!
South Normanton Area Foodbank
Established in 2013, South Normanton Area Foodbank believes that no-one in their community should have to face going hungry. That’s why they provide nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis. Part of a nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, they work to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.
Spread across 2 locations, South Normanton and Alfreton, they provide a warm drink, chat and advice if needed, together with receipt of a food parcel that lasts 3 to 4 days. 33 wonderful volunteers are involved with processing and handling their foodbank stock and running the 3 foodbank sessions per week. Over the past 12 months, they have fed 3,608 clients.
A donation of £2,124 will fund 12 months’ rent and increased heating costs, enabling the foodbank to grow and keep up with demand. Dolly Trolly Wheels will also enable easier stacking of crates, enabling the storage of more stock whilst reducing manual handling for their volunteers.
Lisa Wilson, Foodbank Co-ordinator said “we think the level of community support that Toyota Charitable Trust is doing is amazing and you should all be really proud of how many people you are helping across a very diverse range of needs”.
The 2025 Award
Should you be interested in applying for an award following our 2025 fundraising activities, please revisit the website at the beginning of October to confirm eligibility and download an application pack.
Community Grant Recipients following our 2024 Fundraising Activities
Some thank you messages from our recipients
