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A community food hub, a social group for the over 60s, a community garden and a local festival are the first four recipients of £1,000 of grants from the Brabazon Community Fund, set up to help local groups that are having positive social impact across North Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
Launched earlier this year, the fund awards £250 each month to initiatives that deliver important projects to strengthen community connections, tackle isolation, and support local residents.
First to benefit from the Community Fund was Aura Ion Foundation, a project that supports local low-income households, families, single parents, older adults and people who may not qualify for traditional food bank support. The money paid for a brand-new fridge to upgrade their Community Food Hub kitchen in Patchway.
Pete Knight at Aura Ion Foundation said: "This is exactly the kind of investment that makes a real difference at community level... Grants like this may look small on paper, but in practice they can unlock meaningful change."
Coniston Community Centre in Patchway was the second recipient, putting the money to good use for ‘Coniston Connect’ an event for over 60s to socialise and build friendships.
David Sully, Trustee at Coniston Community Centre said: “For just £4, older people can afford a home-cooked meal together, take part in gentle exercise, board games and creative activities, rediscover or learn new hobbies. The money has helped us to subsidise our event, making it affordable and accessible for older people. We’ve also been able to hire exercise instructors to get everyone moving!”
The third grant was awarded to Filton Community Garden who were able to purchase a Hot Composter bin to accelerate production of compost at all times of year.
Jason Young, Chair of Filton Community Garden said: “It takes the garden around a year to produce decent compost for use around the garden. It is vital now with the hotter and drier summers, and for protecting plants during cold spells. “The Hot Composter will create the nutrient rich compost we need in just 30-90 days. It will also save us money as there’ll be no need to buy bags of compost, mulch or liquid plant feed.”
Most recently, Filton Festival, a free annual community event held in Filton, Bristol at Elm Park, used the funds to make this year’s event even bigger and better.
Jacob Gough - Director DC Event Production said: “This funding is incredibly important to the delivery of Filton Festival 2026. It has helped us to provide children and youth activities for free at the event but also has started a new relationship with Brabazon, a major development for the area. All of which shows how important the festival is to the local community.”
Jon McDiarmid, Director of Sales & Marketing at YTL Developments, said: “It is fantastic to see the money awarded already being put to such practical use across these four important projects. Each one of them is a great example of the power of bringing people together and creating community through sharing and support. We look forward to working with many more local projects in the coming months.”
YTL Developments is now welcoming new applications for the next round of grants from the Brabazon Community Fund. The company is inviting applications from registered charities, voluntary associations or community groups that have been running for a minimum of 12 months and are located within 4.5 miles of Brabazon.
The Brabazon Community Fund is part of the YTL UK Foundation which provides funding to projects that strengthen communities and benefit the environment where we work. We recognise that we have a very important role to play in the lives of our customers, so we work hard to build strong, lasting relationships. This fund forms part of our wider commitment to support our local communities, including the Spitfire Hangar community centre, run by Brabazon Community Trust, a registered charity.
Local groups and charities can now apply for grants through the Brabazon Community Fund.
