Community Grant Awards
As we all know, the last few years have been a real challenge for fundraising. However, last year we had an amazing year, raising a fantastic £431,000 - our best ever!
This much needed funding enabled us to continue to make 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.
Some of the Charities we Supported
Wales Air Ambulance
Funded entirely by donations, it costs Wales Air Ambulance £8m annually to deliver vital lifesaving, advanced medical care to people across the North Wales region.
In April 2023, the Trust donated £5,000 to help 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.”
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 when needed within the community.
Funded by the Toyota Manufacturing Charitable Trust and hosted at the Trent and Dove Kingfisher Community Allotment, an 8 week Ecotherapy project offered the opportunity to engage in gardening activities, whilst growing a range of well cared for and nourishing vegetables. Eleven clients attended eight sessions and enjoyed getting their fingers dirty and harvesting their own food.
Keri Lawrence, Development and Sustainability Officer said “Burton and District Mind are extremely grateful for the generous donation to run this fantastic project. The funding meant we had a place for some of the most vulnerable people in our community to meet and learn new gardening skills and more about keeping themselves well. For some, it was the only reason they had for leaving the house during the Covid-19 restrictions and was a life line for being able to connect with others and enjoy the summer”.
Longer term, it is hoped that the project will lead to more volunteers supporting similar projects whilst putting their newly acquired gardening skills into practice.
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!
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.
In 2023, we were proud to support the purchase of 10 flight suits following a donation of £5,000.
As their team of clinicians expands to reach more patients, it is critical that they are equipped with the correct safety equipment and clothing.
Manufactured locally by a Derby based company, each suit costs £500 and, with over 60 clinicians, this is an expensive cost for the charity.
It is a privilege and an honour to support Derbyshire Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance.
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.
In 2023, the Charitable Trust was proud to finance much needed equipment for their wonderful Midlands Kennel and Dog Welfare Centre. This included support for their Dog Wellbeing Project which provides physiotherapy checks for at 6, 12 & 18 months. Funds also enabled the purchase of Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields (PEMF) therapy equipment, which helps with rehabilitation and can identify early posture and gait issues. Funds for a roller press will also support laundering and to help save costs.
Ellie Foster, Trusts and Grants Manager, Canine Partners said “the £2,000 donation towards purchasing two PEMF mats and a laundry press for our Midlands Training Centre will help us support both the individuals and the assistance dogs that make up our amazing partnerships for many years to come. The two PEMF mats will enable our Operations Team to administer our dogs’ rehabilitation and treatment plans on-site and whenever needed, improving their health and wellbeing in the long-term; while the laundry press will be used by our Housekeeping Team to 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.”
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 continues through a range of virtual workshops. The online experience offers 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 are available.
Following a donation of £3,000 from the Trust earlier this year, funding will support workshops at the Royal Derby Hospital and the Countess of Chester Hospital.
Having recently returned to face-to-face workshops in Derby, LGFB Volunteer, Lu Wright commented: “It’s great to be back, the ladies loved every minute, they chatted, laughed, made new friends and felt safe in our new layout, feeling proud at Royal Derby Hospital”.
Let’s hope this fantastic work can also recommence at Chester soon!
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”.
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, over 300 children from the Derbyshire and Deeside areas will experience the thrill and magic of a live performance.
Ady Smallman from the Deeside Engine plant took his family to a previous Wrexham performance following a 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.
The 2023 Award
Should you be interested in applying for an award from our 2023 fundraising activity, please revisit the website in October to download and submit an application form.
The application period will close at the end of November 2023 and successful applications will receive funding in February 2024.
Community Grant Recipients following our 2022 Fundraising Activities
