Supporting those in need

The Swinton Foundation is a charitable trust supporting charities, artists, entrepreneurs, local good causes and communities in Masham and the wider Yorkshire Dales.

Over the past 10 years, the Swinton Foundation has donated more than £80,000 in support, helping regenerate the rural environment and to provide a catalyst for enterprise and development.

By way of example, the Foundation makes an annual donation to St Mary’s Church in Masham for the upkeep of the church infrastructure and in 2023 donated £5,000 to the Mashamshire Community Office towards the purchase of the building that they currently occupy.

Local charities

Every year, the Swinton Foundation selects several local and one Yorkshire based charity to support exclusively. In previous years, these have included Masham Primary School, Grewelthorpe Primary School, Masham Sports Association, Help for Heroes rehabilitation programme and  the Archbishop of York’s Youth Trust. Support can take the form of Candlelit Carol Concerts, team building and educational events (cookery lessons, garden and parkland tours for school children for example), using the Swinton Estate’s resources.

If you are interested in being one of our nominated charities, please do not hesitate to contact us. Nominated charity applications need to be submitted by 1st January (the annual year starts 1st April) by emailing the Swinton Foundation administrator.

Sponsorship and financial grants

In addition to supporting our nominated charities, we also support individual applicants with sponsorship and financial grants for particular causes that meet our criteria. Each year, approximately £8,000 is awarded. Some of our recent beneficiaries have included Mashamshire Community Office, Disability Sports and Action Yorkshire, Local hospices and Ocean Youth Trust North.

If you are interested in applying for an individual award or other level of support, please do not hesitate to contact us. Applications for a financial award, needs to be submitted by 1st February. If you are seeking any other kind of support, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time by emailing the Swinton Foundation administrator

Swinton in the community

The Earl of Swinton, Mark Cunliffe-Lister, has been chair of the Mashamshire Community Office for the past 15 years. During his tenure he formed the original steering group back in 2003 to instigate the formation of the community office, also steering the move from the old library building, to it’s current home in the police building.

Funds to build Masham Town Hall were donated by the Cunliffe-Lister family, with work beginning in back in 1912. Since that time, the Cunliffe-Lister family have always been involved with the running of the Town Hall as trustees.

The Countess of Swinton, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, has been school governor at Masham Primary School, overseeing the change of Head Teacher and realising Ofsted improvements.

The Earl and Countess host an Annual Afternoon Tea at Swinton Park on the Swinton Estate by way of thanks to hardworking local groups who provide a sterling service to the local community, often voluntarily. For example, Masham Litter Busters, who volunteer to keep our local environment tidy, the fire service, churches, schools, sports association and community office.

Throughout the covid lockdown of 2019/2020, the Swinton Estate provided hot meals for the children and staff at Masham Primary School and supplied all local key workers with individual care packages.

For more information, please contact the Swinton Foundation administrator.