Quartet Community Foundation, the organisation that matches philanthropists’ donations with good causes across the West of England, has appointed Bristol-headquartered law firm TLT senior partner Robert Bourns as its chair of trustees.
Robert will work with the board of trustees and Quartet’s executive team to support the foundation’s work. He succeeds Stephen Parsons, Deputy Lieutenant for Bristol.
Along with the trustees and senior management team, Robert will be responsible for furthering the foundation’s high standards of governance, increasing funds from philanthropists across the area and then delivering those funds via grants to local projects.
Robert said: “It’s a privilege to have been a trustee and now chair of the Quartet Community Foundation.
“My firm TLT has been involved with Quartet for a number of years both as a fund holder and donor and I have always been impressed with Quartet’s determination to support projects developed within local communities.
“Quartet’s work makes a real impact, effectively brokering relationships between donors and communities, with real empowerment to the many determined and resourceful people who work so hard to meet the needs of the communities in which they live and work.
“It’s a great message and so important as a force for good in our society. I am looking forward to encouraging ever greater involvement from existing and new donors, whether individuals or businesses, so that we can continue to build on Quartet’s excellent track record.”
Outgoing chair Stephen Parsons added: “During the last four and a half years I have been privileged to meet and learn about so many organisations that are supporting those in need and helping build stronger communities”
Quartet Community Foundation is one of 48 quality accredited community foundations in the UK. Founded in 1986 as the Greater Bristol Trust, over the past 27 years, it has made grants of over £32m and built a permanent endowment of over £22m. It distributes 1,000-plus grants each year to voluntary and community groups across the West of England. In the last year, this has included grants from £30 to £67,000, made to organisations including:
- The Matthew Tree Project: who used its grant to develop a food-growing project in Brislington as part of its food bank work.
- Age UK Somerset, which used its grant to help combat social isolation for older people in Weston-super-Mare; and
- Unseen, which has benefited from a grant to train local authority and other frontline staff to correctly identify victims of human trafficking.
Pictured, from left: Robert Bourns, Mark Goodway, director and founder of The Matthew Tree Project, and Roderick Mackinnon, headmaster of Bristol Grammar School
