The Vivian Moon Braunton Community Trust Fund
The Trust Fund was established in September 1996, by the late Vivian Moon, “for the benefit of the Braunton community, providing for the advancement of education, the provision of recreation and leisure facilities, protecting health and relieving poverty and distress. All this, is in order to improve the conditions and quality of life of the community, particularly those in need by reason of youth, age, infirmity, disablement or social and economic status.”
Deserving causes apply for cash grants and, so far, £95,000 has been disseminated by donations to qualifying applicants and projects within our Braunton community. This funding has and will continue to change lives and circumstances for the better, however, your help now and via future legacies are sought as this is an excellent Trust for you to use as a vehicle, if you too would like to help the Braunton community now and in the future.
In 1999, the Trust donated £25,000 towards the creation of The Vivian Moon Community Centre, in the very heart of Braunton. This, in turn, helped to lever up a further £85,000 of available but necessary funding. This purpose built, modern building provides a wide variety of social and educational facilities for our local community. It is the home of the Braunton and District Senior Citizens’ Club and they in turn manage the daily bookings.
Another project close to the heart of the Trustees was the North Devon Athletics Track. A grant of £10,000 was awarded in 2003 levering up an additional £30,000 of funding to enable the building of the Grandstand you see today and the fact that the facility has national, as well as local significance, can do nothing but good for the competitive fitness and health of our community.
Many other local organisations have also received numerous smaller grants, over the years, including Saunton Sands Surf Life Saving Club, the Museum of British Surfing, the Braunton Visually Impaired, the St Brannock’s Rooms, the Royal British Legion Benevolent Fund, Braunton Wanderers Football Club, Braunton Youth Club, Braunton and Braunton Caen Rotary Clubs, Leonard Cheshire, the North Devon Pathfinder Trust, the Braunton Sea Scout Group and 1st Braunton Boys’ Brigade, the Braunton Police Community Fund, the Braunton & District Volunteers, the Braunton Cancer Committee and the Braunton and District Senior Citizens’ Club, Braunton Library, St Brannock’s Church, Braunton Sports Directory, Go North Devon, Braunton Countryside Centre.
The Trustees are proud, because their and the late Vivian Moon’s vision has enabled the village of Braunton to acquire the iconic projects referred to above, with an ongoing benefit value well in excess of £400,000 from initial facilitating grants made by the Trust of £35,000 and, in addition, have disbursed a further £95,000 in smaller charitable gifts within their area.