South Yorkshire represented at prestigious Lancaster House celebration

13th November 2025

Representatives from South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) were amongst the 300 guests who came together at Lancaster House, in London, to mark 50 years of strengthening local communities through place-based philanthropy.

SYCF’s Chief Executive, Martin Singer, and Chair, Chris Booth Mayblin, joined donors, partners and Community Foundation leaders from around the UK for the prestigious event celebrating half a century of giving.

It was hosted by UK Community Foundations (UKCF) – which heads up a network of 47 regional organisations including South Yorkshire – to recognise the impact that £2.1 billion of giving has made over the years to grassroots organisations and individuals.

The milestone was acknowledged by The King, who sent a message of support which reflected on the impact of the community foundation movement across all four nations of the United Kingdom. It recognised the national impact community foundations have delivered at a neighbourhood level over five decades and the importance of continuing to drive progress through partnership.

SYCF, which was created in 1986, is the region’s largest grant giving charity awarding an estimated £1.7m of funding every year to hundreds of voluntary and community groups. In 2026, South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation will be celebrating its own milestone – 40 years of giving.

Martin Singer, chief executive of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, said: “It was an honour to attend this milestone event celebrating 50 years of place-based impact through community foundations. 

“Being part of this national movement highlights how much South Yorkshire’s generosity and community spirit contribute to that wider story. Every grant we make, every local group we support, is part of the same vision of empowering people to strengthen their own communities. 

“The event made me feel incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved in South Yorkshire and inspired about what more we can do together as we look ahead to our own 40th anniversary year in 2026.”

Speakers at the event included Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Darren Jones MP, who talked about his own experiences growing up in a council estate which led to a journey of place-based philanthropy through Community Foundations. 

“Britain is full of people willing to step up and serve - the often small contributions that become the lifeblood of our communities.”

Guests also heard from David Holdsworth, Chief Executive at the Charity Commission for England and Wales, who captured the work of community foundations as a river “creating eco-systems and sustaining life” and highlighted the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been changed through grassroots causes. 

Anand Shukla, Chief Executive at Henry Smith Foundation, talked about the collaboration between community foundations and national partners over the last 50 years: “Community foundations have deep roots in every neighbourhood in all four nations of the UK, so by working together, we can be more than the sum of our parts, and we can help to deliver change to communities across the country.”

For more information visit www.sycf.org.uk