COLUMN: We couldn't have done the last 30 years without you

Last week we hosted an informal celebration event to highlight all of our achievements made along the way and to thank all those that have been a part of our journey so far. 
What struck me most as people gathered and the speeches began is how truly diverse the people in the room were and all of them were there in support of SYCF. 
Some of our core volunteers, so important to what we do, attended. 
As did some of the community organisations we have supported over the years, including the Cortonwood Comeback Community Centre who received the very first grant funding cheque we ever gave out. 
Our staff team was of course there, rushing around to help me get everything ready as usual. 
Some of our donors attended also, many of which have been working with us for so many years and have been a source of support and encouragement that has helped more than I can say.

All of these people came together to lift a glass and eat some of our delicious cake, made for us by the fantastic students at Doncaster College, to share in our celebrations and to give their thanks for our work over the last 30 years.
 Each person there was from a different part of South Yorkshire, a different walk of life and yet they were all taking part because they all believed in the same thing, improving local lives.

So thank you to all of you that came and to everyone else that we have worked with, that we have awarded grants to or been supported by over the last three decades. . 
It is only down to all of you that we have been able to get to our 30th year and in the future it will be down to you and to people like you that we continue on and reach our next milestone year. You are all an inspiration.

South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation is celebrating 30 years but we are already thinking about the next 30. 
We are determined to do better and to achieve more. We want our local communities to thrive and we know that with the continued help of local people, we can more than achieve that.

For more information about the foundation visit South Yorkshire Community Foundation

Related article:

{http://www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/features/big-birthday-of-south-yorkshire-charity-celebrates-26m-of-giving-1-7931044|Big Birthday of South Yorkshire charity celebrates £26m of giving|click here