About The Foundation

About The Foundation

The Connolly Foundation UK is a major charity in Bedfordshire created to meet the changing needs of young people and older people in the county.

Since beginning in 2007 The Connolly Foundation has awarded more than £13 million in grants and we are proud that these donations have had such a positive impact to many lives in Bedfordshire through education, training, health and social care and mental health and well-being.

We aim to make grants and donations of £2 million per year to improve the lives of people in Bedfordshire.

Click here to download our impact statement

We support young people by:

Giving bursaries which enable young people to attend University and gain a good quality degree;

Giving bursaries to young people to enable them to undergo further education, including apprenticeships;

Giving grants to schools to improve facilities for learning, particularly in STEM subjects;

Making grants to charities and organisations which give young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to make a forward step in life.

 

 

We support older people by:

Supporting befriending and other services aimed at reducing loneliness and isolation in older people

Supporting community transport projects, especially those which help older people access other services such as health care appointments

Supporting exercise and health promotion projects

Supporting hospice and end of life care

Giving grants for supporting older people to access technology, especially where this helps older people to access state benefits.

We plan to:

  • Offer student bursaries to all schools with sixth form establishments within Bedfordshire.
  • Extend our apprenticeship and similar schemes beyond traditional trades and into nursing, care, sports coaching and administration.
  • Support Bedfordshire Hospices to improve their facilities to improve access and services.
  • Extend our support to young people taking degrees or postgraduate diplomas in education to encourage them to come to Bedfordshire to teach.
  • Invest in residential/nursing care in Bedfordshire.

How it all began 

Michael and Kathleen Connolly came to the UK from Ireland in the 1950’s. Kathleen supported Michael in his business life, whilst fulfilling her duties as an elected representative on Luton Borough Council.

Michael went on to form a house building company, Connolly Homes, which grew, with his hard work and guidance plus Kathleen’s devoted support, into a substantial business in the ensuing 50 years.

Michael and Kathleen, through their experiences as young people in Ireland and later in their adult lives in England, were mindful of the difficulties faced by so many older people, particularly those who had come from the same economic background as themselves.

They often wished that they could give meaningful assistance to those in need; both in helping young people acquire new skills and qualifications and in facilitating care for older people.