History & Donations
Since 2011, Cotswold Fayre has supported various charities and projects in the UK and beyond, most notably by five charity balls from 2012-2022, which in total have raised over £125k. We also give a small amount for every invoice, match any fundraising by sponsorship by our people, and support ad hoc charities through both the wholesale and retail sides of the business. Our aim is to give away in cash 10% of profits by 2028.
In 2023 we decided to formalise our charitable donations and set up the Cotswold Fayre Charitable Trust, to bring in better financial governance and more rigorous decision-making processes in terms of which charities we support. As CFCT is a registered charity (no. 1203229) we are hoping that this will facilitate more giving to key projects from some of our suppliers who want to support charities through a share of their profits.
Trustees
The Charities Commission require there to be a majority of trustees not connected to the company, so we asked two people who are committed to our aims to become trustees as well as Paul Hargreaves our CEO.
Geoff Wright – a friend of the company and former supplier (Fentimans) now retired.
Jackie Blain – a friend of the company and bookkeeper working in FMCG.
All the charities supported are vetted by the trustees and we generally support specific projects with a fixed amount of money required.
Charities supported so far
· Alternative Angels
Click here for full details of accounts
Charity Objectives
Central to CFCT’s mission are the goals that have guided all of the company’s donations to date, totalling over £250k – namely, poverty relief and promoting greater sustainability.
As seen on the Charities Commission website; The object of the CIO is to advance, for the public benefit, such charitable purposes (according to the law of England and Wales) as the charity trustees see fit from time to time, in particular but not limited to:
(a) the promotion of sustainable development anywhere in the world for the benefit of the public by:
(i) the preservation, conservation and the protection of the environment and the prudent use of resources;
(ii) the relief of poverty and the improvement of the conditions of life in socially and economically disadvantaged communities;
(iii) the promotion of sustainable means of achieving economic growth and regeneration; and
(b) the advancement of the education of the public in subjects relating to sustainable development and the protection, enhancement and rehabilitation of the environment and the promotion of study and research in such subjects provided that the useful results of such study are disseminated to the public at large.
Stakeholder Donations
We receive many requests from charities, many of whom are on the edge of extinction in the difficult times we live in. We aim to continue to increase our giving year by year, but we would also love to use the registered charity status to help raise funds from our suppliers, customers and other stakeholders of Cotswold Fayre.
Remember that all company donations directly reduce corporation tax paid and we are able to claim Gift Aid from donations that come from individuals.
In February 2025, we raised over £19,000 through our supplier conference, which was a fabulous effort, and a big thank you to all who were involved.
To give to Cotswold Fayre Charitable Trust
Bank Account Number: 10197365 | Sort Code: 12-24-81
Just Giving: https://justgiving.com/cotswoldfayrecharitabletrust