Talbot Village Trust

Talbot Village Trust, an independent grant-making charity founded in 1850 by Victorian sisters Georgina Charlotte and Mary Anne Talbot, embodies their philanthropic vision of alleviating poverty and uplifting vulnerable people through practical support in housing, education, and community facilities. Core values prioritize amplifying lesser-heard voices, enabling people to live well, inspiring social change via collaboration, and delivering long-term community benefits. Their distinctive philosophy favors capital projects fostering sustainable improvements, believing impactful philanthropy emerges from people-centric partnerships that empower local organizations to address root causes of disadvantage with measurable, enduring outcomes.

They support educational initiatives and SEND provisions for children and young people facing barriers, mental health services including counselling and therapeutic activities for individuals with anxiety, depression, or challenges, disability support encompassing respite care, day services, and accessibility improvements for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, or complex health needs, elderly care schemes tackling isolation through befriending, community halls, and supported housing, employment training and skills programs reducing youth unemployment and aiding care leavers aged 16-25, family support for carers of disabled children, and community-led projects like play parks, after-school clubs, peer support groups, and inclusive sports for disadvantaged families. Interventions emphasize preventative person-centred approaches, community infrastructure for social cohesion, holistic wellbeing, early intervention in poverty and vulnerability, trauma-informed housing schemes, and capacity-building training to promote independence, inclusion, and resilience among beneficiaries including isolated elderly residents, families in crisis, ethnic minorities, and rural communities experiencing food insecurity or social isolation.

Exclusions encompass research, motor vehicles, IT equipment, professional fees, retrospective costs, ongoing revenue like salaries, and any work outside South East Dorset's coastal and rural communities or benefiting individuals directly. Distinctive capital focus on construction, refurbishment, and major enhancements prioritizes organizations with strong local roots, evidence-based plans for sustainable impact, match-funded projects serving children, young people, elderly, disabled people with learning or physical disabilities, mental health service users, and vulnerable families, valuing grassroots collaboration, inclusivity, and demonstrable long-term empowerment over core funding.