A healthy eating and food budgeting project evaluated by University academics features in the Government’s newly published ‘Our place to give’ plan, that sets out a long‑term ambition to grow place‑based philanthropy across the UK.
Launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the plan recognises the importance of place‑based philanthropy as a way of connecting philanthropic giving with local priorities, particularly in areas that have historically received lower levels of philanthropic investment.
Community foundations are referenced within the plan as part of that local infrastructure, alongside local government, anchor institutions and other locally rooted organisations.
Rather than prescribing a single model or delivery mechanism, the plan focuses on creating the enabling conditions needed for place‑based philanthropy to develop sustainably over time, such as learning, coordination and partnership.
One example highlighted is 50 Families, a community‑led, year‑long programme developed and led by Northamptonshire Community Foundation and funded with and by donors Food4Heroes, and evaluated by the University of Northampton.
Delivered by local charities Home‑Start Northampton, Power of the Mind Networks and The Spring Charity, the project supported families to build practical cooking skills, confidence and connection through food. Designed as a preventative response to food inequality and cost‑of‑living pressures, the programme demonstrates the impact of sustained, place‑based investment and partnership.
Associate Professor Dr Helen Caldwell at the University of Northampton* worked with colleague Dr Emel Thomas on the. Dr Caldwell said: “The University was proud to support the 50 Families project and to evaluate its significant impact on parents, carers and children in Northamptonshire.
“That 50 Families features in the new ‘Our place to give’ plan – among other great examples of community philanthropy across the country – is a clear indication of the effect it had, and we hope, will continue to have.”
Rachel McGrath, Chief Executive of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, adds: “This national commitment to place-based philanthropy is both timely and significant. In Northamptonshire, we see the tangible impact of local giving every day – strengthening communities, expanding opportunity, and changing lives. By deepening the connection between donors and place, and by working in strong partnership across sectors, we can unlock greater investment in our county’s future, build community resilience, and ensure support reaches those who need it most now and for the next generation.”
Across the UK, community foundations support community‑led action, working with MPs, local authorities, businesses and philanthropists to help strengthen local areas. The ‘Our place to give’ plan reinforces the principle that philanthropy should complement, not replace, public funding, and recognises the value of locally shaped approaches.
Read in full the ‘Our place to give’ plan.
Find out more about 50 Families on the University’s website.
*The project was supported by the University’s Knowledge Exchange and Enterprise Support Programme’s Public and Community Engagement and Participatory Research fund.