‘Phyllida Barlow. unscripted’ opening celebrations, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, 2024. Photo: Sim Canetty-Clarke
Announcing Our 2024 – 2025 Charity Partner in Somerset
Since Hauser & Wirth Somerset’s launch in 2014, the gallery has worked in partnership with 14 charitable organizations, institutions and local businesses across the South West of England. Each year, a new local charity is supported through visitor entrance donations and community events, providing a platform to promote ongoing initiatives and increase awareness to a broader audience.
From July 2023 – June 2024 the gallery was delighted to support Bruton Community Library, a vital hub for local residents as well as socially isolated members of our rural Somerset community. Looking ahead to July 2024 – June 2025, we will dedicate our support to Good Company Bruton, a not-for-profit set up by and for the local community.
Run entirely by volunteers, Good Company Bruton supports community projects that bring people together, including those that help Bruton’s most disadvantaged groups, to foster a greater sense of belonging. They exist to remove the barrier sometimes caused by bureaucracy and administration to create positive change in and around Bruton.
New enterprises for 2024 include the launch of the Bruton Community Fund, a grant initiative for anyone with a good idea that will benefit the local community, as well as a new project to help increase positive mental health in the area. Their current good causes encompass a food bank; providing laptops for disadvantaged secondary school children; helping Ukrainian refugees hosted in Bruton and surrounding villages to be well-supported in their new community; hosting an annual Christmas lunch for those who are lonely, isolated or hungry; and fundraising for a new skatepark and multi-wheeled sports facility in Bruton for all ages and abilities.
Good Company Bruton will be present at our Summer Fete on 13 July 2024, marking the 10th anniversary of Hauser & Wirth Somerset and celebrating a decade of art, food, nature, sustainability, local partnerships and learning programs.
‘Bruton is a beautiful place, and we are lucky to live here. But like any small town, there are people in our community that need our help. Good Company Bruton’s partnership with Hauser & Wirth will fund even more community initiatives in the next year, fostering belonging and making a real impact for those in need. Thank you for choosing us as Hauser & Wirth’s charity partner for 2024 – 2025.’—David Weston, Chair of Good Company Bruton
