Norfolk Community Foundation celebrated 20 years of building stronger communities and improving the lives of people in Norfolk – ACE were proud to join them at Illuminate Norfolk 2025
Illuminate Norfolk brought together all of those who have been and will be a part of NCF’s continuing story to mark this amazing milestone. The event was an interactive showcase bringing together those who have shaped, and continue to shape, our county’s inspiring story. From street dance to barista training, electric cars and community supermarkets, visitors immersed themselves in some of the innovative and impactful social projects made possible through remarkable collaborations between voluntary organisations, businesses, and communities, clearly illustrating that Together, Norfolk Shines Brighter.
The event was attended by well over a thousand people, with many local dignitaries, funders and private donors able to see the results of the funding distributed by Norfolk Community Foundation over the last 20 years. The ACE stand was staffed by 6 team members and management, who said the level of interest in both NCF and ACE kept them rushed off their feet all evening. We also had representatives from two of our partners, Saxon Air and Mervyn Lambert, in attendance, showcasing the support they give ACE in funded programmes such as the Skills Bootcamps and other employment projects.
ACE have been supported by NCF since it’s inception in 2011. We have received funding for a diverse range of projects, just a few of which are featured below:
- Know Your Neighbourhood – Helping reduce isolation and loneliness by encouraging community based volunteering in Great Yarmouth, helping Waterways and St Georges Theatre.
- Endeavour Rangers – Supporting families to embrace healthy eating on a budget, including growing their own produce/herbs.
- Dudgeon STEM fund – Inspiring young people with real world scenarios where a STEM subject can be used to improve their career prospects, with trips to the airport, the East Coast Skills Centre and electric powered planes/racing cars.
- The Big Oardeal – Taking groups of young people on trips to Oulton Broad Water Sports centre to try raft-building and kayaking.
- Sir Norman Lamb fund/s – Providing young people on our Study Programme with access to a trained in-house counsellor, first aid training and information on sexual health, knife crime and providing other essential wellbeing tools.
- Little Acorns – Supplying equipment to enhance the studies of mechanics students, including soldering equipment, advanced electronic circuit kits and a compressor.
- …and many more!
NCF’s funding has helped us expand our provision in Norfolk, helping us build more classrooms at our site in Rackheath and open a second training centre in Great Yarmouth. Our Gorleston centre is fast becoming a great community space, as well as doing the vocational training that ACE are so renowned for. We look forward to continued support from NCF in the future, helping us grow and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of our Norfolk communities. Thank you, Norfolk Community Foundation – here’s to another 20 years!!
Some photos from the Illuminate Norfolk event:
Some photos of the projects NCF have helped fund:
