For the second time in less than a week we again can offer our sincerest thanks, this time to the Garfield Weston Foundation for a positive outcome on our latest funding application. This grant will help us to continue building our capacity to support the arts across Milton Keynes.

Established in 1958, the Garfield Weston Foundation is a family-founded charitable grant-making trust which now gives away approximately £80 million a year to charities across the UK. Having established one of the most respected charitable institutions in the UK, the Weston Family Trustees today remain highly active and hands-on. The Foundation’s funding comes from an endowment of shares in the family business – a successful model that still endures today and as the businesses have grown so too have the charitable donations.

Each year the Foundation gives away its income and donations have continued to grow. Since it was established it has donated over £1 billion, of which over half has been given away in the past ten years alone. In the most recent financial year the Foundation gave away over £79 million to over 2,100 charities across the UK.

It is with heartfelt thanks from all of us Arts Gateway MK to Arts Council England for emergency funding they have provided to help us through this difficult time. This generous funding will help us keep our studios open at Arts Central MK for both current resident artists and those looking for studio space. The grant also provides us with development funding for the future, which we will announce in due course.

And finally a big thank you to National Lottery players for making this funding possible.