Applications open for The Gannett Foundation's charity grants

The foundation is part of Gannett Inc., the parent company of Newsquest Media Group which owns the Oxford Mail, The Oxford Times, Bicester Advertiser, Witney Gazette and Herald Series as well as numerous other local newspapers in the UK.

Since its inception, the Gannett Foundation has given more than $170 million to thousands of charitable projects across the US and the UK.

In the UK the foundation makes grants to registered charities which bring benefits to the local communities served by Newsquest’s news brands, typically granting modest sums for practical projects, but will also consider larger ideas.

Applications for this year’s round of funding are now open. They must be sent to the Editor of the Oxford Mail, Samantha Harman, by no later than noon on Friday, October 18, 2019.

Applicants must be registered charities and must not have received a grant from The Gannett Foundation within the last two years.

The application form is available via the link below and should be returned electronically together with scanned electronic copies of any supporting documents.

In last year's scheme, four Oxfordshire charities received support from The Gannett Foundation.

One of them was Katharine House Hospice, a Banbury-based charity, which provides free care for people with terminal illnesses, which applied for over £7,000 needed to buy new beds and mattresses for its users.

Senior Philanthropy Officer at Katharine House Hospice Felicity Hills said: "On behalf of everyone here at Katharine House Hospice, and especially patients receiving care on our In Patient Unit, I would like to thank the trustees of The Gannett Foundation for their generous grant of £7,150 towards our bed appeal.

"Thanks to support of charitable trusts and individuals, we have been able to purchase ten specialist bed frames and seven top-of-the-range powered air mattresses.

"We had initially hoped to purchase four beds and four mattresses in the same period, but thanks to the wonderful generosity of our supporters, including the trustees of The Gannett Foundation, our fundraising has exceeded our expectations."

Helen Fletcher, head nurse at the Katharine House Hospice, described the difference the beds have made.

She said: "We are delighted. They are easy to use and support us in giving the very best care to our patients.

"From the ultra-low position which is good for patients at risk of falling, to the alarm system which alerts us if someone is trying to go somewhere on their own and has forgotten to use the call bell to get help, the beds are brilliant.

"Some patients have even said they would love to have one of the mattresses at home because they are so comfortable!"

It is not the first time the hospice was supported by the Gannett Foundation; in 2015 it successfully applied

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