Boardmasters, the UK’s biggest surf and music festival, today announces that the Boardmasters Foundation is partnering with Cornwall Community Foundation to manage its grant-making programme and enhance local impact. This exciting partnership will strengthen the Foundation’s ability to support local groups and initiatives that embody the festival’s commitment to culture and community across Cornwall.
Since its inception, the Boardmasters Foundation has been dedicated to giving back to the local communities that host the festival each August. By joining forces with Cornwall Community Foundation – Cornwall’s largest grant-maker and a trusted partner to local communities for over 20 years – the Foundation will benefit from expert knowledge, robust governance, and established connections with grassroots organisations across the county.
The partnership represents a significant step forward in the Foundation’s mission to support projects that promote surfing, music, creativity, education, and Cornish culture, whilst enhancing the lives of individuals in local communities. Cornwall Community Foundation will provide professional grant management services, ensuring that funding reaches the organisations and individuals who can make the greatest difference.
In 2025, more than £120,000 was raised by Boardmasters Foundation, bringing the total to nearly £700,000 since the foundation was established in 2017. During the 2024 cycle alone, 52 charities, projects and organisations received support and were added to a growing list of beneficiaries that includes The Wave Project, Newquay Train Station Toilets, Concrete Waves, multiple public murals, the England Para Surf Team, Newquay Foodbank, the Nansleddan Arts Festival, Cornwall Pride, 11 local schools, the Newquay Museum Group, Mawgan Porth Village Hall and many others. Stories about some of these projects that have been supported can be viewed on the Boardmasters YouTube.
Rob Spring, Festival Director of Boardmasters, said: “We’re incredibly proud of what the Boardmasters Foundation has achieved, and this partnership with Cornwall Community Foundation marks an exciting new chapter. Boardmasters has always been about more than just a festival – it’s about celebrating and supporting the communities that make Cornwall so special. By working with Cornwall Community Foundation, we can ensure our funding has even greater impact, reaching the grassroots organisations and initiatives that truly make a difference to local people’s lives.”
Tamara Sherston-Baker, Development Director at Cornwall Community Foundation, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Boardmasters Foundation to support communities across Cornwall. Boardmasters has a long-standing commitment to giving back locally, and we’re excited to help them amplify that impact. Our experience in grant-making and deep connections with local groups mean we can ensure funding reaches those who need it most. This partnership is a perfect match – combining Boardmasters’ passion for Cornwall’s culture and communities with our expertise in connecting funding to grassroots action.”
The Boardmasters Foundation supports individuals, groups, charities, and organisations that align with two key pillars: Culture and Community.
Funding is focused on projects based both in the immediate vicinity of the festival site – including Newquay, Porth, Whipsiderry, Tregurrian, Watergate Bay, and Fistral – as well as those operating more broadly across Cornwall.
The Foundation prioritises initiatives that reflect the following criteria:
CULTURE Recipients or organisations that are heavily involved with and promote surfing, music, creativity, education, and/or Cornish culture.
COMMUNITY Projects that enhance the lives of individuals in the local community. Special consideration will be given to projects involved with and supporting diversity, inclusion and improving and raising awareness of societal issues.
Get involved
Applications will open in the New Year. To support local groups in preparing strong applications, Cornwall Community Foundation will host a free online funding workshop on 15th December. The workshop will provide guidance on the application process, eligibility criteria, and tips for crafting successful funding proposals.
For more information about the Boardmasters Foundation, visit: boardmasters.com/boardmasters-foundation
For more information about Cornwall Community Foundation, visit: cornwallcommunityfoundation.com
