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Good Causes

Trustees consider a diverse range of proposals, with a focus on projects which address the areas listed below. These reflect Dr Sowerby’s personal interests and priorities, which guide the trustees in their grant making.

The size of grants awarded range from small grants of a few thousand pounds to significant multi-year grants of up to £100,000.

  • Community

    • The Arts; supporting young/emerging creative artists and writers, and performance by all ages in local communities

    • Providing artistic and creative activities to improve the health and wellbeing of at-risk or disadvantaged groups

    • Strengthening the health sciences evidence base for arts & health activities

      Smaller scale health initiatives

    • Projects benefitting communities in need within the Foundation’s defined domains

    • North Yorkshire and its wider communities

  • Environment and Conservation

    • Natural environment; support for the enhancement of horticulture, trees & woodlands

    • Conservation; support for the protection and management of ecosystems and biodiversity; practices that protect, manage and restore natural habitats

  • Education

    • Teaching of philosophy in schools and the encouragement of creative and critical thinking amongst children

    • Support for the study of philosophy within medical education, training of healthcare professionals and carers to improve decision-making under conditions of uncertainty and the promotion of the dignity of patients

    • Education projects utilising the arts to benefit relevant communities

    • Wider educational initiatives, predominantly for the support of children/young people

  • Seed Funding

    • Most recently, Trustees have agreed a new area within the Good Causes strand of funding focused on supporting early-stage organisations

    • This is with a core aim to: Support early-stage ideas or organisations (which are too early stage for traditional funders) and drive forward innovative thinking and practice

    • Projects must fit within one of the core domains for the Good Causes strand: Community, Environment and Learning and Education

    • Grants will be for a maximum of £25,000 for early-stage ideas

Examples of the grants the trustees have made can be seen on ‘our grants’ page.

Thanks to the Foundation’s support, we have been able to run jazz education events for literally hundreds of young people in parts of the north-east which otherwise would never have experienced them, and in some places (eg Darlington) we have been able to help create local community institutions which are now delivering jazz education  on a long-term sustainable basis, with constant support from NYJO. We could not have done any of this without support from the Peter Sowerby Foundation.  
National Youth Jazz Orchestra