Thinking strategically.
Acting locally.
Achieving more together.
The Macclesfield Fund
The Macclesfield Fund brings together local people, businesses, charities and public services to tackle some of the most urgent challenges facing residents. Led by Cheshire Community Foundation, the fund supports lifeline local charities that are supporting the people of Macclesfield to thrive. Anyone can give, to make their home town a better place for us all.
Download our Macclesfield Fund Overview
Macclesfield is a town of striking contrasts. Its market town charm, thriving businesses and affluent neighbourhoods paint a picture of prosperity. But on closer inspection a very different reality emerges, sometimes just a street away. Pockets of serious deprivation exist alongside some of the wealthiest postcodes in Cheshire, and for too many people that proximity changes nothing about the daily struggle they face.
The Macclesfield Fund brings together local businesses, individuals and public sector partners to tackle that inequality head-on. Managed by Cheshire Community Foundation, it funds high-impact grassroots charities working at the sharp end of poverty, health inequalities, and educational disadvantage, ensuring the people facing the greatest barriers can thrive.
The Issues in Macclesfield
Macclesfield receives less than half the national average in grant funding per person, meaning the charities working hardest in this town have fewer resources than those almost anywhere else in England. This is in part a consequence of perception: Macclesfield's reputation for affluence masks the reality of what is happening in its most deprived communities.
The challenges here span every aspect of life.
In Macclesfield:
Unemployment rate
% in some parts
% Children
in relative poverty
Life expectancy
year gap with Wilmslow
These statistics represent real people: families, young people and older residents who deserve the same opportunities as anyone else in this town. The Macclesfield Fund is being created to level that playing field.
These four short films tell the moving stories of projects in other areas of Cheshire East. With the right investment, we can enable projects like these in Macclesfield too.
"Cheshire East Council is committed to working with partners and residents in creating healthier neighbourhoods, where people get the right support at the right time. The development of a Macclesfield Fund is a superb opportunity to help realise that ambition, bringing together local generosity and expert grantmaking to reach the people and communities who need it most. Collaborative approaches like this are exactly how we create lasting change in our communities and we are proud to be part of it."
Dan Coyne Head of Service, Integrated Commissioning - Communities and Integration, Cheshire East Council
Get Involved
Last year we made grants totalling £27,000 in Macclesfield, to some genuinely important work, but we know this isn’t enough to turn things around for our town.
Our ambition is to raise £150,000 by 2027. Every pound donated is pooled with others so your contribution achieves far more than it could alone. Cheshire Community Foundation handles all due diligence and impact reporting so you can give with confidence and see exactly where your money goes, bearing none of the administrative burden.
Supporting the Macclesfield Fund is an investment in the town's future and in the people who make it what it is.
To find out more or to get involved please contact Marie-Louise Taylor.
