Kindly sponsored by Rathbones, Cheshire Community Foundation was privileged to welcome members of its Cheshire 100 supporters' club to Cholmondeley Castle on Tuesday 7 July for their Summer Gathering. It was an evening that brought together donors, corporate partners and local charities to explore a side of Cheshire often overlooked: the hidden hardship behind its rural idyll.
Guests were given a private tour of the Castle's celebrated gardens before gathering in the newly refurbished State Rooms, part of the Castle's ongoing restoration of its original interior features, for an evening of drinks, canapés and conversation, by kind permission of Lord and Lady Cholmondeley.
The evening's focus was rural deprivation, a challenge that sits at odds with Cheshire's reputation for prosperity. Guests heard that rural councils receive three times less public health funding per head than some city areas, despite rural populations skewing significantly older, with the average age in rural areas 5.3 years higher than in urban areas and rising. In some rural villages more than a quarter of residents are now over 65.
The event heard directly from two charities supported by the Foundation who are working to meet these challenges on the ground.
Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy, represented by Helen Rutter and Emma Jones, spoke about the isolation and financial pressure facing the county's farming community and the vital role of pastoral, listening support delivered by a team who understand farming life first hand. The Foundation recently awarded the charity a grant of £750 towards its Mind of the Farm evening mental health workshops, held just three miles from the Castle in Wrenbury.
OPAL (Older People, Active Lives), represented by Geoff Hope-Terry, shared how its work tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people in rural West Cheshire, including its Carers Deserve Better programme, has grown significantly since the pandemic. The Foundation has awarded OPAL more than £50,000 in grants over that period.
The evening was made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Rathbones, whose Financial Planning Lead Helen Woods addressed guests on the night.
Helen Woods, Financial Planning Lead, Rathbones: "At Rathbones we see every day how much of a difference thoughtful, local giving can make. The Cheshire 100 is a brilliant example of that in action, bringing people together not just to fund the Foundation's work but to understand the communities behind it. Hearing tonight about the pressures facing rural Cheshire, from farming families to older residents, was a reminder of why partnerships like this matter. We're proud to support Cheshire Community Foundation and its Cheshire 100 members."
James Hall, Senior Agent at Cholmondeley Estates said: "We were delighted to welcome Cheshire Community Foundation and its Cheshire 100 members to the Castle. So much of what makes this part of Cheshire special, its farms, its villages, its people, relies on the kind of quiet, dedicated support the Foundation provides. It was a privilege to host an evening that shone a light on communities right on our doorstep, and we're glad the famous gardens and Castle State Rooms could play a part in that."
Mel Sproston, Chief Executive of Cheshire Community Foundation, said: "Evenings like this remind us why the Cheshire 100 exists. Our members' support funds the core costs that let us respond quickly and effectively to need across the county, including in rural communities that don't always make the headlines. I'm hugely grateful to Lord and Lady Cholmondeley for hosting us, to Rathbones for their generous sponsorship, and to Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy and OPAL for sharing their work so honestly with our guests. Most of all, thank you to every member who continues to give month after month. It genuinely makes a difference."
The Foundation extended its thanks to Lord and Lady Cholmondeley for so generously hosting the evening, to Rathbones for its sponsorship, to Helen Baly for photographing the event, and to Greenalls Gin (Quintessential Brands Group) for gifting gin served on the night. Thanks also went to Ellie Rushworth, whose piano accompanied guests throughout the evening.
To find out more about the Cheshire 100 or to become a member, visit cheshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk/give/cheshire-100.
Photography kindly supplied by Helen Baly https://www.helenbaly.co.uk/
