Charitable Giving

‍Boomtown is committed to creating a positive and lasting legacy in the communities surrounding our festival site and across the Winchester area.

Our Charitable Giving Programme combines long-standing community commitments, a strategic charitable partnership and an application-based fund supporting local organisations and projects.

This framework establishes a clear, fair and accountable process for the portion of Boomtown's charitable giving that is open to applications, while also recognising our established annual commitments.
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‍Boomtown's charitable giving is divided into three areas:

A. Winchester Hospice Partnership – £100,000Our principal charitable partnership is with Winchester Hospice, which receives an annual contribution of £100,000.

The hospice is a key strategic partner for Boomtown and this contribution represents our largest single charitable commitment.

This funding is not part of the application process and is managed separately through our ongoing partnership with Winchester Hospice.

The partnership reflects our commitment to supporting vital local services and improving wellbeing for people and families within the Winchester community.

B. Parish Council Community Grants – £20,000Boomtown has a long-standing commitment to supporting the parish communities surrounding the festival site.

Each year, eight local Parish Councils receive £2,500, representing a total annual commitment of:£20,000These grants recognise the important relationship between Boomtown and the communities closest to the festival.

The Parish Council grants are not application-based. They are an established part of Boomtown's annual community giving and are provided directly to the eight participating Parish Councils.

Parish Councils are encouraged to use the funding for projects, facilities or initiatives that provide a clear benefit to their local community.

To maintain appropriate accountability without creating an unnecessary administrative burden, Parish Councils will simply be asked to confirm:

- What the £2,500 will be used for.
- Who or what in the community will benefit.
- When the funding is expected to be spent.
- A short update once the funding has been used.

This allows Boomtown to understand and communicate the collective impact of the Parish Council grants while retaining the flexibility for each parish to determine where its funding is most needed.

C. Boomtown Local Community & Charitable Fund – £40,000

‍An additional £40,000 is available annually through a formal application process.

This is the element of Boomtown's charitable giving programme to which the application and assessment process within this framework applies.

The fund is intended to support charities, schools, youth organisations, community groups and other eligible not-for-profit organisations delivering meaningful benefit to people and communities in or near Winchester.

Individual awards may vary according to the scale, need and potential impact of the project.

The current funding structure allows for awards at different levels, including:

‍£2,000 – £10,000Applicants should request the amount genuinely required rather than automatically applying for the maximum available.

The total amount available through the application process each year is:

‍£40,000

Annual Charitable Giving Commitment

Boomtown's current annual charitable giving structure is therefore:

The formal application and assessment process contained within this framework applies only to the £40,000 Local Community & Charitable Fund.

Local Community & Charitable Fund Priorities

 The £40,000 application-based fund will prioritise organisations and projects contributing to one or more of the following areas:

Youth & Education
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‍Supporting grassroots youth organisations, schools, educational projects, facilities, skills development and opportunities for children and young people.

Intended outcome: Improved access to opportunity, facilities, confidence, skills and participation.
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Mental Health & Wellbeing
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‍Supporting frontline services, community wellbeing projects, peer-support programmes and organisations working with vulnerable, marginalised, underserved or at-risk people.

Intended outcome: Improved wellbeing, reduced isolation and increased access to appropriate support.
Arts & Culture
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‍Supporting inclusive creative projects, community arts programmes, music, performance and opportunities for communities that may otherwise face barriers to participation.

Intended outcome: Greater access to arts and culture and stronger representation of local and underrepresented communities.
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‍Climate & Environment
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‍Supporting local climate action, nature restoration, biodiversity, environmental education, community energy and other practical environmental initiatives.Intended outcome:

Improved local environments, greater environmental awareness and increased opportunities for communities to participate in positive environmental action.

Principles of Giving

Applications to the £40,000 fund will be considered against Boomtown's wider charitable giving principles.

We particularly want to support organisations and projects that:
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- Deliver tangible benefit within Winchester and communities surrounding the festival.
- Support marginalised, underserved or at-risk groups at their time of greatest need.
- Address identifiable community needs.
- Seek to address root causes as well as immediate challenges.
- Provide opportunities for children and young people.
- Support underfunded causes and community-led initiatives.
- Present bold or innovative ideas with the potential to create longer-term change.
- Can demonstrate a clear and responsible use of Boomtown's funding.
- Have the potential to create a positive and lasting local legacy.

Where appropriate, Boomtown may also provide communications and marketing support to help amplify the work and impact of organisations we support.

Organisations applying to the £40,000 Local Community & Charitable Fund will complete a single application form.
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Applicants will be asked to provide:
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Organisation Information
‍Organisation name and address
Charity/company number where applicable
Main contactGeographic area served
Brief description of the organisation and its work

The Funding Request
Amount requested
What the funding will be used for
Total project costSimple breakdown of expenditure
Whether other funding has been secured or applied for
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Community Need
Why the project is needed
Who will benefitWhere beneficiaries are based
Approximately how many people will benefit
Any particular groups experiencing disadvantage or barriers that will benefit
Impact

What difference the funding is expected to make
‍What success would look like
How the organisation will know whether the project has made a difference
Whether the project is expected to create any longer-term benefit
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Timescale
Proposed start date
Expected completion date

Eligible applications will be assessed consistently against five areas:

The assessment panel will use the scoring framework as a decision-making tool rather than relying solely on numerical scores.

The panel will also consider the overall distribution of the £40,000 fund, including geographic spread, different areas of community need, previous Boomtown support and the balance between organisations and causes.Applicants may be:

Approved – the requested amount is awarded.
Part-funded – an alternative amount is offered.
Asked for further information – where additional information is required before a decision can be reached.
Declined – where the application does not sufficiently meet the fund's priorities or available funding has already been allocated.

‍Boomtown wants to understand the difference its funding makes without creating unnecessary administration for the organisations it supports.

Successful applicants will therefore provide a short impact update following delivery of their funded activity.

This could include:
What the funding enabled.
Who benefited.
Approximately how many people were reached.What changed or improved.
Stories or feedback from participants where appropriate.
Photographs where appropriate and consented.
Any challenges or learning.
Longer-term benefits resulting from the project.

We do not impose rigid KPIs. Instead, organisations will be asked to report against the outcomes they identified in their original application.

This creates a simple link between:

‍What the organisation told us it wanted to achieve → what Boomtown funded → what actually happened.

Annual Impact Review

‍At the end of each funding cycle, Boomtown will review the impact of all three areas of charitable giving.
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This will allow us to demonstrate the combined impact of:
£100,000 – Winchester Hospice Partnership
£20,000 – Parish Council Community Grants
£40,000 – Local Community & Charitable Fund
£160,000 total annual charitable giving

The annual review should capture both financial information and community impact, including stories of change, organisations supported, communities reached and lessons that can inform future charitable giving.

This approach enables Boomtown to maintain long-standing local commitments while ensuring that the funding available through application is distributed fairly, transparently and where it can make a meaningful difference.

Communications, Publicity & Sharing Our Impact

An important part of Boomtown's charitable giving programme is celebrating and showcasing the organisations, projects and communities that our funding supports.

As a condition of receiving funding, successful applicants will be expected to work with Boomtown on reasonable communications and publicity relating to the grant and its impact.

This may include:
Announcement of the organisation and amount of funding awarded.
Inclusion in Boomtown press and media activity relating to our charitable giving.
Boomtown website, social media and community communications.
Local and regional media oportunities.
Quotes or interviews from representatives of the funded organisation.
Photographs or video relating to the funded project.
Case studies and stories demonstrating the impact of the funding.
Inclusion in Boomtown's annual charitable giving and community impact communications.

Successful organisations may also be asked to acknowledge Boomtown's support within their own communications where appropriate.

Boomtown recognises that some funded organisations work with children, vulnerable people or individuals whose circumstances require additional sensitivity. Participation in publicity will therefore always be managed appropriately, and the use of identifiable beneficiary stories, images or personal information will remain subject to the necessary permissions, safeguarding requirements and consent.

By accepting an award from the Boomtown Local Community & Charitable Fund, organisations agree to reasonably support Boomtown in communicating and celebrating the impact of its charitable giving.

To ensure a fair and consistent process, the Boomtown Local Community & Charitable Fund will operate to a set annual timetable.
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Applications open: 1 October 2026
Applications close: 31 December 2026

During January 2027, all applications will be reviewed against the eligibility requirements and assessment criteria outlined within this framework.

During February 2027, the Boomtown Charitable Giving Panel will meet to consider the applications and agree the allocation of the £40,000 Local Community & Charitable Fund.

All successful applicants will be informed by 27 March 2027.

Following confirmation, successful applicants will receive details of their grant award, any applicable funding conditions and the next steps for payment.

This timetable allows sufficient time for applications to be considered consistently and ensures that funding decisions are made through a fair and accountable process.