The Summerfield Charitable Trust welcomes GFirst LEP Chief Executive David Owen as new trustee

The Summerfield Charitable Trust is delighted to welcome GFirst LEP Chief Executive, David Owen, as the latest member of the trust board.

The Summerfield Charitable Trust is delighted to welcome GFirst LEP Chief Executive, David Owen, as the latest member of the trust board.

Established in 1989, The Summerfield Trust has paid more than £7 million in grants to good causes in Gloucestershire benefiting the arts, the natural heritage and environment, community projects, education, recreation and sport, and the vulnerable and disadvantaged.

?David Owen is currently a director of Gloucestershire Voluntary & Community Sector Alliance, South West Investment Group and Gloucestershire Enterprise Limited and is a member of the International Advisory Group of the Economic Development Council. 

David Owen, Chief Executive of GFirst LEP, said: “The diversity of the projects that the Trust are involved with enhance and benefit many different charitable projects and good causes in Gloucestershire, as well as boost the local economy. I’m really excited to get involved with the great work of the Summerfield Trust.”

Mr Edward Gillespie OBE, Chair of the Summerfield Charitable Trust, said: “Since its inception, Summerfield has benefitted from the tireless contribution of Trustees who are passionate about quality of life across Gloucestershire at every conceivable level.  Having known David for several years, I have no doubt he will continue to maintain that tradition.  He brings a wide range of skills that will blend brilliantly with those of the other Trustees."

During 2014 The Summerfield Trust donated £522,230 to a wide variety of good causes throughout Gloucestershire and paid a total of 104 grants ranging from small grants of £500, to larger grants of over £20,000.

As part of the trust’s 25th anniversary celebrations, a grant was given to Gloucester Cathedral that will be used to conserve the Cathedral’s fifteenth century Lady Chapel. Conservation of the chapel forms a key part of Project Pilgrim, a £6M Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) project to develop the Cathedral site into a sustainable focal-point for heritage, spiritual and community activity in the heart of Gloucester. 

This grant is the largest one-off donation the Cathedral has received towards the Project Pilgrim funding target of £1.5M. It will help to unlock a further £4.3M if the Cathedral makes a successful round two application to HLF later this year. 

The Summerfield Trust encourages a diverse range of applicants and is keen to be involved in projects, both large and small, that are imaginative and to which they can make a significant contribution.

To find out more about the Summerfield Trust, visit the website at http://www.summerfield.org.uk/