Baylis Trust to donate £109,521 to good causes

Donations totalling more than £100,000 will be handed out to good causes in the area by the Louis Baylis Charitable Trust.

The trust, which owns both the Maidenhead Advertiser and Slough & Windsor Express, is supporting an array of charities and community groups with its latest round of grant funding.

Organisations to benefit include Thames Hospice, which will receive £25,000 towards equipment for a patient rehabilitation centre at the charity’s new hospice by Bray Lake.

The building of the centre has already been funded by the trust.

Citizens Advice Maidenhead & Windsor has been given £15,000, with Maidenhead-based Re:Charge R&R also receiving £3,000 to continue its work support-ing vulnerable families.

The trust’s latest donations follow on from a £10,000 emergency fund launched in April to support charities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peter Sands, chairman of trustees at the Louis Baylis Charitable Trust, said: “A lot of the organisations that we support have struggled because their normal fundraising sources such as shops and events have dried up.

“We’re really pleased that we’ve been able to continue our support.”

Funding will also help support the development of arts in the Royal Borough, an area which has been hit hard during the public health crisis.

The 4Motion Dance and Theatre Company has received £1,000 to help fund virtual dance and exercise lessons.

A £2,500 donation has also been made to the Shakespeare As You Like project which gives pupils the chance to put their own spin on classic plays by the Bard.

Jeremy Spooner, chief executive of Baylis Media, said: “While these are extremely challenging times for local publishers such as Baylis Media Ltd, the unique ownership structure has seen the results of our long and successful history create a legacy for Maidenhead and the surrounding areas.

“The Louis Baylis Charitable Trust has significant reserves that have been built over time as a result of dividend payments and donations from Baylis Media Ltd.

“This allows, despite these challenging economic times, the Trust to continue to support charities in our communities at a time they need it most.”

A total amount of £109,521 has been handed out in the latest round of donations. See right for details on the donations.