The Marjorie and Lionel Sheppard Fund

Jenni Jones’ grandparents, Marjorie and Lionel Sheppard, were kind, caring people with a lifelong love for Swindon. After their passing, Jenni wanted to honour them in a way that reflected their values and connection to the town. Jenni chose to support both the Vocational Grants and Care Leavers Programmes through a flow-through fund, while also creating the Marjorie and Lionel Sheppard Children and Young People’s Endowment Fund in their names.

“My grandparents were absolutely amazing. They were kind, gentle souls. They came from working class families. Gramps worked as a car mechanic, from 15 right up until he retired – he just loved all car-related things! He was also very musical. My Grandma left school at 14 to be a nanny. As part of the war effort, she worked in the workhouse in Stratton in a children’s nursery and used to tell really heartwarming stories about how she supported the children there.

“They were humble and unassuming people – they didn’t need anything much, just each other and their family, and they were very giving to neighbours and friends. When they passed away, they left some money for their daughters, who gave it directly to us grandchildren. I just thought: they were such amazingly generous people, it would be a shame not to have something in their memory.

“So, I was searching around the internet thinking: what would be a good legacy for Grandma and Gramps? I came across the Foundation’s website, saw some case studies and thought: yes, this is the one. It’s in Swindon, for the community of Swindon, to give people from similar backgrounds to them that foot up, that little bit of an advantage to help to level the playing field. That’s what my grandparents would’ve wanted.

“I could see that there was a direct link to the things that Grandma and Gramps cared about, so it just made sense. We wanted to support the Vocational Grants Programme because of Gramps’ love for mechanics and music, as well as Grandma’s link to business and helping young people with their future careers. 

“The Care Leavers Programme is the other programme that we wanted to support, because there’s a link to mentoring – my grandparents were great mentors. They were really good at listening to and supporting others, and guiding them to be their best selves.

“When the Foundation sends me updates of the people who have been helped, I just know Grandma and Gramps would’ve been chuffed to bits to know that they were helping people from backgrounds that are similar to their own, and to give them the boost to resources they didn’t always have access to themselves.

“We wanted to make sure Grandma and Gramps were remembered in Swindon for the wonderful people they were. It mattered that we supported something that would immediately help young people but also have a longer-term impact. They dedicated their life to helping others therefore it made sense to ensure the money was helping others beyond their life.

Read the full story of the Marjorie and Lionel Sheppard Fund in our 2024/25 Annual Review, by clicking here.