High Sheriff’s accolade for community impact
The commitment and dedication of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) team has been recognised with a prestigious certificate of achievement.
SYCF has been presented with the accolade by the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, Professor Jaydip Ray, at a special reception.
It recognises the work of the Community Foundation throughout Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, helping community groups make a difference.
Michelle Dickinson, Head of Philanthropy and Programmes for SYCF, said:
SYCF has been presented with an accolade by the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire, Professor Jaydip Ray, at a special reception.
We are incredibly proud to receive this prestigious award from the High Sheriff of South Yorkshire.
It recognises the tremendous amount of hard work and dedication demonstrated by our talented team as part of our commitment to making a positive difference in South Yorkshire.
Thank you to our loyal staff, Trustees and volunteers for their collective efforts which have all contributed to us receiving this award.
It only serves to reinforce our passion to continue providing vital grant funding across many programmes, to further support people in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.”
In 2023, SYCF awarded £1.7m in grants to more than 400 community organisations across South Yorkshire.
We approved £1,769,565 in grant funding – a 73 per cent increase compared to 2022 – benefitting 25,621 people.
Over the 12-month period, 410 grants were given to individuals, community groups and organisations in Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. This is a 38 per cent increase on 2022, equivalent to 113 additional grants.
In 2023, the grant approval rate was 21 per cent higher than in the previous year, with 76 per cent of all applications being successful.
Visit or case studies page to find out more about some of the groups we’ve helped.
Meet Michelle
Michelle supports our Strategic Plan through philanthropy, including overseeing the professional services to donors. This includes securing and distributing income against agreed targets by developing and maintaining long term strategic relationships. Her duties include responsibility for the development and delivery of the Foundation’s Fund Development Strategy and the Grant Strategy. Working days: Monday to Friday.
Michelle Dickinson
Head of Philanthropy and Programmes
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