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Newent Association for the Disabled is a long-established community charity based in the Forest of Dean. Their work centres on reducing isolation and improving quality of life for elderly, disabled and vulnerable people living across rural Gloucestershire.

The charity operates a day-care centre at Sheppard House, community transport services supporting access and independence, and several charity shops that contribute income and connection within the community. Their focus is simple: offering practical support, companionship and reliable services for people who might otherwise struggle to participate in community life.

However, sustaining these services in a rural area, with rising demand, limited funding, and gaps in public provision, has required ongoing effort and external support.

The Challenge: Funding essential services in a rural community

Newent Association for the Disabled came to us because, ultimately, they needed more funding. While they receive grants from social care and the local council, none of this funding is for full cost recovery. Anything beyond their statutory baseline, including the things that make services accessible, sustainable and genuinely life-enhancing, require additional funding. Transport is a good example of this. Local councils won’t fund bespoke dial a ride services using volunteers for individuals who need additional care and support during their journey because they don’t view demand as high enough, yet for Newent’s beneficiaries, transport is fundamental. Without it, people simply cannot access services, social contact, or support.

Before we began working together, Newent were doing some fundraising, but small, irregular amounts that weren’t enough to sustain services or evolve the charity. It would be fair to say they didn’t really know where to start with trusts and foundations fundraising: who to approach, how to make the case, or how to build the depth of relationships needed for stability and multi-year funding. Like many small-to-medium sized charities, staff were already stretched, often wearing multiple hats and with limited time or knowledge to achieve successful fundraising which made it difficult to fill financial gaps while continuing to deliver frontline services.

Our Approach: Building capability and securing long-term funding

We began working with Newent Association for the Disabled back in 2019. The first priority was laying the groundwork for sustainable fundraising, bringing in new funders, building relationships, and maintaining the support already coming from local trusts. We helped them not just to apply for funding, but to understand what to apply for and why. Much of Newent’s thinking was understandably business-led, focused on what they wanted to do operationally. With trusts and foundations, however, the focus has to be on community need. A big part of our early work was helping them shift their perspective and articulate the impact and difference their services made in people’s lives.

In 2020, like many charities, Newent faced a completely new set of problems when the pandemic hit. This is exactly where Orchard excels, because we work so closely with clients, we can pivot quickly to meet urgent needs while still planning for the longer term. During Covid, we supported Newent to secure emergency funding and develop a response and recovery plan that helped them protect services at a time when demand was increasing, but income was falling.

Once that phase stabilised, we began looking outward for larger, more strategic funding. We strengthened relationships with local funders and secured multi-year support through Barnwood Trust, National Lottery Reaching Communities and Garfield Weston. Alongside this, we worked with Newent to develop a fundraising strategy to plan for the future, again centred around understanding real need, identifying what was fundable, and shaping projects in ways that would resonate with funders.

Throughout the relationship, we have also provided wider support, from website and social media development to legacy work and strategic planning. That’s the strength of a full-service approach like ours: we can step in across a breadth of activity, rather than just delivering a single strand of fundraising in isolation.

Our Impact: Delivering Sustainable Growth and Real Change

Since we started working with Newent Association for the Disabled, we’ve helped them raise over £500,000 through trusts and foundations alone. This funding has been fundamental, the difference between running at a deficit and breaking even. However, while a significant sum in itself, it’s what that money has enabled that really matters.

National Lottery Reaching Communities funding has helped Newent broaden their reach,  attracting a “younger older” audience (65+ rather than 80+) into Sheppard House. New programmes, activities and approaches have helped bring in around 100 new clients, tackling loneliness and supporting people with disabilities of all ages. Meanwhile, Barnwood Trust’s three-year funding has enabled Newent to strengthen and extend its community transport services, a lifeline for those who would otherwise struggle to access support in such a rural area.

Over time, the community has begun to see Sheppard House differently. With new services and a wider age mix, local groups are increasingly interested in using the space, recognising it as a hub rather than simply a day care service. Through fundraising, strategic thinking and reframing how need is presented, Newent has created an environment that feels relevant, welcoming and genuinely useful to more people.

The Future: Sustaining Momentum and Building Capacity

Newent Association for the Disabled is now in a strong position, with committed future income from Barnwood Trust and National Lottery Reaching Communities. They also recently received a substantial legacy, which further strengthens their financial footing and gives them space to think long-term rather than just year-to-year survival.

Their next major step is a new capital project: installing a purpose-built unit on the Sheppard House site. While it will function as a furniture charity shop, we’ve helped them expand the concept beyond retail. Alongside generating income, it will operate as a training arm for disabled people, offering skills development in upcycling furniture, bringing in volunteers, and creating employment opportunities. It is a good example of how their thinking and their ambition for impact have evolved.

Of course, there is still work to be done. Newent now needs to raise £210,000 to fund the building, staffing, fit-out and volunteer training, and we’re working to a tight timescale. But we love a challenge, and we love a good cause. We’re confident Newent will continue to go from strength to strength as this next phase unfolds.

“Orchard Fundraising has been invaluable to us. Their professional and supportive approach has brought in substantial funding, strengthened key relationships and opened doors to opportunities we would never have found alone. Their ongoing advice gives us confidence for the future and has already made a real difference to the people we support. I can honestly say we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.” Lyndon Biddle, CEO, Newent Association for the Disabled