Insight

At Norfolk Community Foundation we want to help build strong, vibrant communities where people feel empowered to shape the places they live and services they use.

While our community research work focuses on building new knowledge into a particular topic or area, we also work to gather and share insight by conducting research that analyses data that already exists – collected by ourselves and partners.

Our unique position as a local grant funder and role as a convenor and connector between different networks and partnerships, means that we can access and share a wealth of insight into local communities and support people to take action on what they’ve learned.

We help to:

  • Enable active communities that feel that they have a voice and agency over their lives and the places they live.
  • Build a strong, confident voluntary and community sector that uses insight to shape its work and can make a compelling case for why what it does is important.
  • Provide statutory partners with an understanding of local assets and local needs and enable better use of the resources at their disposal.

“They’re a constant repository of great practice, good ideas, and all sorts of thoughts of where we can go next in this increasingly uphill task to try to prevent hunger and destitution across the county.”

Andrew Forsey, Director of Feeding Britain

Insight

Our grant data and relationships with over 2,000 local charities give us unique insights and opportunities to understand challenges facing our county and explore how they can be solved together.

A report sits on a chopping board. The cover features a bright red illustration of a tomato with the words 'Food in Norfolk' overlaid in white text.

Spark: Food in Norfolk

Our first ‘Spark’ report. We chose to focus this first edition on food because it is our most basic of needs.

Sparks shine a spotlight on a subject in Norfolk.. From this small but mighty publication, we hope to inspire conversations and action in our community.

Spark: Youth Mental Health

Sparks shine a spotlight on a subject in Norfolk. From this small but mighty publication, we hope to inspire conversations and action in our community.

In this edition, we chose to explore the issue of young people’s mental health. 

Area Impact: West Norfolk

At Norfolk Community Foundation, we know the value of place-based funding. 

We all want to live in communities that are caring, inclusive, and supportive, where we can connect with others, feel a sense of belonging, and access the things that make life worth living. Communities in West Norfolk are no exception to this. This report highlights the profound impact that giving can have when directed thoughtfully and locally.

State of Norfolk – August 2024

The “State of Norfolk” bulletin is your go-to quarterly update from the Norfolk Community Foundation. As one of Norfolk’s most significant grant funders, we provide unique insights into the local charity sector. This quarter we examine…

  • Small charities: Overlooked and Underfunded
  • Norfolk’s Pressing Needs
  • Grant Data Shows Gaps
  • Desire for Development