Grants and donations are an important aspect of our work and have real impact locally.  They are intended to give access to the arts in the widest sense to everyone. to those who would not normally have such access. 

We believe in Arts for All and use our donations to make a positive contribution to people’s lives through the arts.

Art Bytes

In 2026 we supported Year 5 at Buckhurst Hill Community Primary School and their top prizewinner, Isabella Bailie, was invited to attend the London prizegiving at St Martin's in the Fields in June 2026.  Isabella was excited to receive her certificate, and have a tour of the National Gallery and has been invited to exhibit at the Young Royal  Academy Summer Exhibition in July.  

Alix Donovan, Art Lead at the school, visited us at Theydon Bois Village Hall prior to our June lecture and showed us the artwork produced by her pupils and explained how much they enjoyed taking part in the competition.  

Click here for full information on ArtBytes 2026

In 2025 we supported a class of 30 at Epping Upland Primary School to take part in the Art Bytes project; further information on this national art competition for schools can be found here

The following was received from Julie Lowe of Epping Upland School after the prizes had been awarded:

"It was a lovely project and very well organised - the likes of which we had never undertaken before. It was a very unusual forum to display work and made it look really impressive. However it was very time-consuming to upload and organise.

We got involved through Catherine Hammond and your generous grant but we wouldn`t undertake the project ordinarily as our budget would not allow for it."

Essex Young Musician of Year

Over the last four years we have donated a total of £500 to fund an annual prize for the Essex Young Musician of the Year which aims to support and encourage young Essex musicians of talent and potential, who enjoy competing and performing in a welcoming, pleasant environment.

Past prize winners have gone on to enjoy successful professional careers.  We will be supporting the competition again this year and have made a grant of £200 towards a 2026 prize category, 4th prize, Under 19 category.

The 2025 winner of the TASWE-sponsored 4th prize in the Under 19 category, Alexander Rebel (age 16), can be seen being presented with his prize by the High Sheriff of Essex, Julie Fosh here (gallery 4)

Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust

We have purchased notice boards to display local primary school children’s art work at Copped Hall using the £250 Arts Society Community Grant.

Our Christmas 2024 raffle proceeds totalling £555 were donated to Epping Forest Food Bank and we delivered 100 craft bags to the Food Bank in the middle of December, full details here

Donations for coffee, also at that meeting, totalled a generous £75 was given to The Alzheimer's Society.

Our Christmas 2025 raffle raised over £700 which was donated to The Parkinsons Society and donations for coffee raised £165 which was given to Epping Food Bank who kindly distribute our craft bags to local children.

Voluntary Action Epping Forest

We have made donations to Voluntary Action Epping Forest totalling £1,000 to support their ACE music and art activities for young adults with learning difficulties. Elizaabeth and Gill went to Grange Farm early in November 2025 for a  “Hands up to Music” session and to see the ceramic flower project that we funded last year. There are about 25 of them in the garden at the Chigwell Riding Trust. Very effective. Photographs can be seen here. 

Revitalise Jubilee Lodge

A grant of £750 (including £250 Community Grant) was awarded to Revitalise Jubilee Lodge, a local charity providing arts and crafts workshops for disabled people and carers.  Sadly, this charity has now ceased to operate in our area.

Christian Drama Resource Centre

We have awarded grants so far totalling £700 to the CDRC (Christian Drama Resource Centre) to enable them to purchase materials to increase their stock of costumes they provide for local community and school productions.  We also have members working on new costumes or restoring older ones.

Craft Bags

Over the last year we have produced craft bags for children whose parents go to the Epping Forest Food Bank and have so far donated almost £700 towards providing contents.  Click on the Gallery tab to see photographs of craft bag contents and preparation.

Past Donations include:

• Waltham Forest Arts in Education Network £500
• Wildlife Art Competition in conjunction with Copped Hall £99.53
• Money raised through Christmas Raffles to Cancer Research and St Clare’s Hospice