Award-winning independent Chartered Financial Planners, Strategic Solutions, are celebrating a major milestone for their Community Foundation, having now donated over £300,000 in donations to more than 150 charities and local causes since its launch in 2019.
Over the past six years, the Foundation has helped organisations across the South Coast, with a focus on small, grassroots groups facing funding challenges but creating real community impact.
Recent beneficiaries include Southampton Hospitals Charity, which has been able to fund vital projects that go above and beyond what the NHS can provide. Kate Saltrick, Director of Fundraising and Marketing, commented:
“Thank you so much for your continued support and commitment. Because of you, families across University Hospital Southampton continue to feel the benefits of the care, compassion, and innovation your support makes possible.”
The Community Foundation has also supported youth development initiatives, including Oly Newton’s Southeast school tour. The tour reached students from key stage 2 to year 9 in Kent, with workshops focused on resilience, neurodiversity, stress management, and emotional intelligence. Katie Norris, Personal Development Lead at Folkestone Academy said:
“We had a fantastic session with Oly Newton, exploring neurodiversity, stress, and strategies for overcoming challenges. The ‘stress bucket’ model was a really accessible way to show how different pressures build up — and why two people can respond in completely different ways. Students were fully engaged, asked great questions, and left with practical tools to understand stress and support themselves (and others). Thank you so much, Oly!”
In December 2025, the Community Foundation ran its annual 12 Days of Christmas Appeal, supporting local appeals, animal charities and food banks, bringing the community together during the festive season.
The committee is committed to helping more local charities over the coming year, supporting and benefiting as many as possible. To find out more about the Community Foundation and how they can help your local project, please visit https://ssfs.co.uk/community/