ABOUT US
Established with the help of community nurses in 1974, the charity has three aims:

  • To provide financial support to people who are experiencing difficulties as a consequence of illness or disability. For example, a grant may be made for the provision of equipment, minor adaptations or repairs or to assist with the cost of therapy or care.

  • In cases of need, to provide financial assistance to community nurses, including retired nurses and those currently working in Gloucestershire.

  • To support nursing services in the community by the provision of, for example, equipment/aids, educational/training grants and part funding of specialist nursing posts.

NOTES TO APPLICANTS

Training Grant Application

An application for a training grant should include a supporting statement from the applicant's manager, and make clear how the proposed study/training course supports the organisation's objectives. A signed GDPR Consent Form must be submitted.

Financial Aid Application

An application for financial aid must be made by a health or social care worker who is working with the client. A GDPR Consent Form signed by the client (or parent/guardian in the case of a child) must be submitted with the completed application. A GDPR Information Sheet should be printed and given to the client for his/her records.

Who Can Apply?

Referrals are invited from all those involved in the care of vulnerable people in the community including health and social care professionals, private and voluntary agencies. The committee meets four times a year (in January, April, July and October) to consider grant applications. More urgent referrals will be considered as necessary.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Please read 'Notes re: Applications' and the GDPR Information sheet first.

Select the relevant documents below.

Either print the forms to complete by hand and return by post (See address on the bottom of the application form)
or
Download and complete the forms, then return these by email to gcnfadmin@btinternet.com.

Notes re: Applications

GDPR Information Sheet

GDPR Consent Form

Application Form for Training/Study Grant

Application Form for Grant Funding

Household Income & Outgoings Form
CONTACT US
Phone: 07984971837

Email: gcnfadmin@btinternet.com 

MEET THE TRUSTEES

Jackie Smith

Grants Administrator

Jackie became a Trustee in 2017 and was the Chair from 2018 until 2025. Having worked as a district nurse in the Stroud locality for 26 years, Jackie then spent 6 years working in the IT department of 2gether mental health Trust before retiring in 2012. She also served as the elected nurse member of the Primary Care Trust and gained valuable experience of working at a strategic level. One of Jackie’s priorities has been to raise awareness of the charity, and it is pleasing that in recent years we have received an increasing number of referrals from across the county. GCNF is completely run by volunteers, who bring a broad spectrum of nursing, planning and financial experience to the Board so that we continue to meet the aims of the Trustees who founded the charity in 1974: to support nurses and the community nursing service, and to provide financial help to vulnerable people in need.

Neil Hampson

Chair

Neil joined GCNF in 2018. He is a former Mayor of the city of Gloucester. His career included working as a qualified District Nurse, during which time he was seconded to lecture at both the University of the West of England and Cardiff University in their schools of Health and Social Care. Later his career moved into clinical audit. After achieving a post graduate degree in clinical audit he became the Clinical Audit and Effectiveness Manager for a large NHS trust. More recently he achieved a Master’s degree studying at the University of Birmingham, researching alternative models for the delivery of social care in the community. Neil has extensive knowledge of the voluntary sector. He has been volunteering for just over 50 years. He was a school governor for over 20 years at four different schools. He served as Chair of Governors at two of these schools. Neil is and has been a trustee of several other charitable organisations covering health and social care, hospice care, supporting homeless veterans, sports and wellbeing, and protecting historical buildings. He brings all this experience to support the work at GCNF.

Maggie Pugh

Safeguarding Lead

Maggie worked as a Community Nurse in Gloucestershire until retiring in 2021. During her nursing career, she developed and provided healthy living initiatives in an area of deprivation in Gloucester; provided clinical support for homeless people in Gloucestershire and delivered clinical education for nurses (community and student) and health care staff. Maggie is Safeguarding lead for GCNF and sits on the charity’s Governance group.

Richard Crowhurst

Treasurer

Not all of the trustees have a nursing background. Richard has brought us financial skills, from his career as an Actuary. He has an extensive knowledge of governance built up through his advice to a wide range of pension schemes. After retirement, Richard decided he wanted to share his knowledge by volunteering to be a trustee for several charities. One of Richard‘s first actions after he joined us in 2019 was the facilitation of a debate about GCNF’s future. The key outcome was a unanimous decision that GCNF should continue indefinitely. Richard then designed a financial policy in keeping with this objective, to control our annual expenditure on grants and administration.

Elles Meester

Vice Chair / Secretary

Elles became a trustee of GCNF in 2022. She was born in Holland and moved to Gloucestershire in 1982 where she has lived ever since, apart from a few years in the USA in the mid-80s, where she worked as the PA to the Government Commissioner for Broadcasting. Returning to the UK, she worked as a PA in architectural administration. Both these roles have furnished her with vital administration skills. Elles has spent many years volunteering in the charitable sector including several years at her son’s school PTA and more recently supporting a number charities in various roles. Elles is the current secretary of GCNF and was elected Vice-Chair in 2025.

GCNF NEWS

TRUSTEE VACANCIES

Gloucestershire Community Nurses Foundation has existed for nearly 50 years and continues to be run by volunteers.  The aims of the charity are described in the information leaflet that can be found on this link - Aims of the Charity.  

The Board consists of 10 Trustees, who bring a wealth of nursing, management and financial expertise to the table. Current priorities for the charity are a review of the governance framework in the light of new Charity Commission reporting requirements and the ongoing development and management of this website as part of an awareness-raising campaign.

Trustees meet quarterly to consider grant applications. Development projects are undertaken by a small group of Trustees who make recommendations to the Board on these and governance issues.

If you would like to know more, please contact GCNF to discuss further.

T: 07984 971837
E: gcnfadmin@btinternet.com