We are pleased to announce that the IES has been awarded a £15,000 grant from the Garfield Weston Foundation, to be used over the next 12 months. This grant is sent with the best wishes of the Weston family.

As highlighted in the Garfield Weston Foundation's "Prioritising the Planet" report, some of the key issues that environmental organisations face are increasing public knowledge of the need to safeguard our environment, and finding ways to overcome the resource versus impact balance that many of us struggle with. This grant will be used to address skills gaps in our current staff roster and provide relevant training, or expand the team as deemed necessary to ensure we are providing the best support we can to our members and the sector. In addition, we will look to expand on our reach and engagement by using more digitised resources and online promotion.

Who are the Garfield Weston Foundation?

Established over 60 years ago in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded, grant-making charity which supports causes across the UK and gave over £88 million last year. It has donated well over £1 billion to charities since it was established.

One of the most respected charitable institutions in the UK, the Weston Family Trustees are descendants of the founder and they take a highly active and hands-on approach. The Foundation’s funding comes from an endowment of shares in the family business – a successful model that still endures today; as the businesses have grown, so too have the charitable donations.

From small community organisations to large national institutions, the Foundation supports a broad range of charities and activities that make a positive impact in the communities in which they work. Around 2,000 charities across the UK benefit each year from the Foundation’s grants.