Longleigh Foundation
A chance to rebuild
Hello
from Longleigh Foundation
Longleigh, an independent charitable foundation, was established by Stonewater in 2015 to address the growing gap between Stonewater residents' needs and the availability of support services. To bridge this gap, our unique approach offers individual, project, and research grants.
Farewell and welcome
We bid farewell to our previous Chief Executive, Andy Peers, who has been instrumental in shaping the foundation to what it is today. We welcome our new CEO, Aileen Edmunds, and we look forward to seeing where her leadership will take Longleigh in the future.
Impact and achievements
Over the past financial year, our team has worked hard, awarding 746 grant applications, an 11% increase from the previous year. This achievement would not be possible without Stonewater's continued commitment, and we would like to thank Stonewater staff for their support.
Unsurprisingly, the number of grants issued to Stonewater residents has increased over time. In response, we have broadened our range of support from food and energy vouchers to white goods, helping customers like Jenny* and her 2-year-old daughter improve their life circumstances.
Jenny says:
Longleigh has helped me improve my quality of life by providing items that I otherwise would not have been able to buy. To know that my daughter and I were getting beds was such a relief!
Read more about Jenny's story in our 2023 annual review
Aileen Edmunds
CEO Longleigh Foundation
Our Individual Grants put resources directly into the hands of those in need.
They are designed to meet immediate issues in the short term.
They play a vital role in preventing crisis situations from escalating - giving people a chance to rebuild.
CEO's message and future plans
Looking ahead to 2025, we have some major targets for the year, including embedding impact and purpose across all our grant programmes. Our aim is to ensure that each intervention is rooted in an evidence base, enabling us to help more people and make the biggest difference to their lives. We also want to measure, celebrate, and publicise our successes so everyone can hear about the fantastic work our wonderful team does.
Project Grants
Our project grants focus on reducing the need for future individual grant applications by providing wraparound support. With the rise in complex needs within social housing communities, additional support services are needed now more than ever. Acknowledging the pressure on statutory, community, and charity services, over the past year, we have funded 11 projects focused on financial, mental, and physical health and wellbeing. By partnering with multiple organisations to create 'Circles of Support', we increase our ability to reach and improve the lives of more customers.
Research Grants
Earlier this year, we launched the Final Report on the provision of floor coverings in social housing. This three-year research grant project revealed a concerning reality: an estimated 760,000 adults in UK social housing may be living without floor coverings (which equates to as many as 15% of social housing households). We are asking the government to increase funding for floor covering standards and invite you to advocate for better standards in flooring provisions at point of let. Read the report here.