Community development as the cornerstone of Gloucestershire Gateway Trust’s partnership with Gloucester Services

It’s hard to find a business that really does put hard cash into sustaining its local communities.

But here in Gloucestershire, we have a shining example of that in the partnership between Gloucester Services on the M5 and the Gloucestershire Gateway Trust. 

Remarkably, up to 3p in the pound (apart from fuel which is not included) spent at the two services - North and South - goes to the Trust.

It is an amazing partnership which is being brought to life by Channel 4 in a Cotswold Farmshop.

It’s a six part series celebrating the stories behind the food producers that supply Gloucester Services.

You can catch part four of this intriguing documentary with beautiful shots of our county next Monday.

So, how does this partnership work?

Gloucestershire Gateway Trust is a  community development charity set up in 2007 to bring Gloucester Services to life.

The initial vision was for residents in nearby Matson to turn the M5 Services into an asset to create jobs, and most importantly, a sustainable income for the local community.

This really is a pioneering model of social investment.

It has created over 400 jobs employing over 100 people from local ”target”  communities. But apart from this social investment, the Services now support over 130 local producers from within 30 miles into its farmshops and kitchens.

The Gateway Trust have now invested over £1 million into projects, groups and organisations between 2017-2022.

It was set up to have a particular focus on the social housing estates of Matson, Robinswood, White City, Podsmead, Tuffley and Stonehouse.

Two of these communities are ranked in the most recent Indices of Multiple Deprivation as the two most “deprived “ areas in Gloucestershire.

There are two key people in this very special business partnership - chief executive of the Trust Mark Gale and Sarah Dunning, chair of the Westmoreland Family which had created the Tebay Services in Cumbria over many years.

When Mark Gayle went searching for a business partner for the Trust, Sarah Dunning became the perfect fit to make Gloucester Services a reality.

This is a brilliant business partnership for good and we should celebrate it.