State of Norfolk

Welcome to our third State of Norfolk bulletin – this time coming to you from Illuminate Norfolk – a celebration of 20 years of Norfolk Community Foundation. Having invested more than £55 million into over 2,000 local charities, we know Norfolk’s charitable sector inside-out.

Key insights:

A recent local survey has revealed that right now, local charities are under increasing pressure, facing three critical challenges:

Funding

Always a major concern, a recent survey revealed two-thirds of Norfolk charities are struggling to secure the financial support they need. Committed to ensuring that funding is used strategically, addressing the needs of communities across Norfolk while also making deep, skilled interventions where they will have the greatest impact, the Foundation continues to build collaborations and partnerships,

Skills

Financial support alone is not enough. Charities need specialist skills to strengthen their work. That’s why we are working with over 200 businesses in Norfolk to provide not just one-off training, but ongoing mentoring and long-term support.

Volunteers

At the same time, many charities are struggling to recruit volunteers. To address this, we have invested in volunteer coordinators who work closely with local charities and the communities they serve.

These challenges are real, but together, we can make a difference. Watch our latest video to learn more about how we are supporting Norfolk’s voluntary sector and ensuring it remains strong for the future. If any of these issues resonate with you, or if you’d like to get involved, we would love to hear from you.

If Illuminate has taught us anything, it’s that only by working together can we make a lasting impact.

We’re always here to listen and help you to take action. Please get in touch.

[Published 07.04.2025]