Since 2013 our Annual Fund has funded 65 projects for organisations and individuals. We have funded literature activity in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Bristol, Bournemouth and Hampshire.

The Annual Fund widens access to literature and creative writing, particularly among people in our region who would otherwise miss out. We provide grants of up to £500 to organisations, which can help increase access to literature in local communities. Activities we have funded include small and start-up literature festivals, book projects for children and young adults, theatre writing events, cultural reading activities for vulnerable older people and their carers, community engagement projects and talking newspapers.

The Annual Fund is about more than just awarding grants, our aim is to help new projects get off the ground. We will be working closely with the projects we select to offer them opportunities, connect them with networks that help them develop and mentor them to support the development of their work.