For any questions about the Mary Hignett Bequest Fund, please use this contact form, or email directly to oswestrycambrian@gmail.com, and add Mary Hignett Bequest Fund in the subject. Application forms and guidance for applicants can be downloaded using the buttons below.

Mary Hignett, a much-loved local writer, teacher and naturalist left half of her substantial estate to the Rotary Club of Oswestry. Her Will gave the Club wide discretion regarding how the money was to be administered and disbursed, with the only guidance being that it should be used mainly for local small projects in the fields of Sport and the Arts. The Club manages the financial aspects of this activity via its Charitable Trust.

The Committee charged with administering the Fund meets regularly to consider applications received. Each year an invitation to interested groups is published in the Advertizer early in the Autumn with an end-of-November deadline and the resulting awards are then announced normally no later than January. Ad Hoc applications can also be accepted.

Most awards are in the range of £500 to £2,500 but each application is treated on its merits: Is it local? Is it a project? Does it provide lasting legacy? Is it related to Sport or Art?

Successful applicants to the Mary Hignett Bequest Fund in the Rotary Year 2023-24 included Music MOB, FRANKTON Cricket Club, Qube, Border Rounders, Oswestry Community Games and Open Space Studio.