Last year, Pilkington Charities Fund transferred over £28 million in assets to the management of the Community Foundation for Merseyside, the largest trust transfer in UK Community Foundation history.

The £28 million transfer is held as an invested fund, generating an annual return that enables ongoing, sustainable charitable giving, ensuring the fund continues to support local communities in St. Helens and across Merseyside for generations to come.

This first round presented an opportunity to demonstrate the value of our approach, using our visibility, community insight, and trusted local relationships to reach more charities and distribute more funding.

Following promotion through our website, newsletter, and local networks, awareness of the new fund quickly spread, resulting in 224 applications totalling £3.78 million, a clear sign of the extraordinary demand for support.

This round, the Pilkington Charities Fund distributed over £975,000 to 54 projects, helping nearly 60,000 people, with a particular focus on communities St Helens, where the Pilkington legacy began. Projects ranged from funding remote counsellors for survivors of abuse to digital arts workshops for adults from disadvantaged areas.