Year in Review: 2025
This year marked 20 years since Norfolk Community Foundation awarded its very first grant, and it has been one of our most impactful years to date.
The world has changed profoundly over two decades, and so have the challenges facing our communities. Yet throughout 2025, we have seen again and again how local charities, volunteers, donors and partners rise to meet those challenges.
From celebrating our anniversary with communities across the county, to deepening our understanding of need, strengthening partnerships and delivering practical support through our six missions, this has been a year defined by the amazing things that happen when Norfolk takes action. What follows is just a snapshot of what we have achieved together.
2025 in Numbers:
Celebrating 20 Years of Making a Difference
More than 1,000 people joined us at the Norfolk Showground for Illuminate Norfolk, a landmark event celebrating two decades of championing local charities. The event showcased the extraordinary impact of Norfolk’s grassroots charities and community groups, and highlighted the power of community giving, bringing together those who have helped shape Norfolk’s story and those who will carry it forward. It was a bright, bold celebration of what is possible when communities come together with the Foundation around shared purpose.
Our Missions in Action
Our six missions guide everything we do, focusing our resources where they can have the greatest impact.
- A Better Childhood: Launched a new partnership with the Norfolk Superhero Challenge to help children get active locally, alongside supporting more than 350 children through Subs for Clubs.
- Greening Our Communities: Continued to help village halls offer warmer welcomes, supported communities to care for nature and helped charities reduce their environmental impact.
- Healthy Young Minds: With a refreshed name, we added £98 per head of support for over 1,000 children and young people to support early intervention mental health support.
- Love Norfolk: Awarded over £500,000 to 140 hyperlocal projects, trusting communities to tell us what they need and supporting small charities on people’s doorsteps.
- Nourishing Norfolk: We continued to consolidate our countywide network, delivering outstanding value and proven social impact.
- Skills for Norfolk: Published the Skills for Norfolk Spark report, providing local insight, training bursaries and funding projects that bring the workplace within reach.
This year, we were also recognised as an Open and Trusting Grantmaker by IVAR, reaffirming our commitment to flexible funding and partnership working.
Five Years of Healthier Young Minds
Launched during the pandemic, the Sir Norman Lamb Coalition for Young People has grown into a powerful force for collaboration in Norfolk. Five years on, it continues to bring providers together, share insight and ensure young people have access to safe, trusted spaces and relationships.
Good for Good: Bridging Businesses and Charities
Our Good for Good programme continued to grow. Membership now includes more than 185 businesses, with 57 new members joining in 2025. Through the Skills Exchange, employees delivered 70 specialist matches, offering professional expertise that helped charities solve problems, reduce costs and focus resources on frontline work.
We also delivered 10 workshops with Creativity Unbound and Felton Fundraising, building fundraising skills and confidence across the charitable sector. Together, these efforts are unlocking ESG potential across Norfolk’s business community and strengthening the voluntary sector.
Knowing Our Communities Better Than Ever
In 2025, we strengthened our commitment to learning and evidence. Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community FOund, we were able to work with researchers at the University of East Anglia to complete a comprehensive evaluation of our Nourishing Norfolk programme. The evaluation unlocked unique insights into the programme’s impact and delivered a UK first social value finding, showing that every £1 invested across our 26 Nourishing Norfolk food hubs delivers £6.54 in social value. This independent evaluation gives confidence in a programme we know is making a real difference.
We also deepened our understanding of loneliness through the Know Your Neighbourhood programme, which explored loneliness and volunteering at a local level, Project Connect, which shone a light on the often hidden issue of youth loneliness. And our work with a private funder to explore loneliness across urban and rural Norfolk. This learning will shape our future work across all of our missions.
Working with Norfolk’s Energy Sector
In 2025 we deepened partnerships across Norfolk’s energy sector. As EEEGR’s charity of the year, we formed new relationships with energy companies and their supply chains. With thanks to RWE, we distributed almost £100,000 through the first round of the Norfolk Offshore Wind Farms Community Fund. We also celebrated 15 years of Sheringham Shoal funding with Equinor, including the Dudgeon STEM in Schools Fund, preparing young people for the jobs of the future.
Looking Ahead
In 2025, communisies across Norfolk have come together to respond to need, test new ideas and support one another. As we look ahead, we remain focused on empowering communities, fostering collaboration and innovation, and driving lasting, sustainable change across the county.
Thank you to everyone who has come alongside us to make this work possible, from funders and businesses to community groups and individual donors. Together, we are continuing to build a stronger, brighter future for Norfolk.
