The Conservation Volunteers
The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a national charity that brings people together to create, improve and care for green spaces. From local parks and community gardens, to waterways and woodlands, the charity supports communities across the UK to transform green spaces with life changing impact on people’s health, employability, communities and environment.
TCV applied to us for a grant towards its Health and Wellbeing in Nature programme in Leeds. This varied service includes conservation volunteering, health walks, gardening, traditional crafts, allotments, a green gym and a range of outdoor play and learning activities. The charity has developed a wide range of partnerships across the city to ensure it meets the needs of disadvantaged and vulnerable people and is embedded in local health, environmental and voluntary sector networks. In its funding application, TCV demonstrated a firm commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion across their work and included positive endorsements from the local public health department and police force that showed how the charity’s work is valued locally. The application also included moving case studies that described the impact TCV’s programme has on people’s daily lives and wellbeing.
At TCV in Leeds we provide a welcoming, accessible conservation and wellbeing centre for thousands of people each year, but since Covid-19 and the cost-of-living-crisis, its been in greater demand and under ever increasing financial pressures. Garfield Weston has been incredibly responsive and flexible in their support in very uncertain times, for which we are very grateful. Their grant has enabled us to sustain our much needed mental health and wellbeing support in our local community.
TCV’s application contained a clear projected income and expenditure for its work in Leeds and a fundraising plan that explained how they were trying to cover funding gaps, including applications to trusts, local businesses, public funders, community fundraising and earned income. The Foundation values local community building organisations and has an ongoing commitment to work that protects the environment and was delighted to make a grant towards the Health and Wellbeing in Nature programme in Leeds.