Jess joins our team

South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation (SYCF) has strengthened its team with the appointment of Jess O’Neill.

Jess has joined the Community Foundation as our new Grants and Partnerships Manager.

She is responsible for leading the team which delivered 410 grants totalling more than £1.7m to groups and individuals across South Yorkshire in 2023.

Originally from London, Jess has previously held roles at Sheffield Theatres and Sheffield Music Academy. She is also a board member at Classical Sheffield and a mentor with charity, Arts Emergency.

Jess said: 

Jess is responsible for a number of key projects for SYCF including The Social Enterprise Growth Accelerator (SEGA) – a new partnership for Sheffield which provides grant funding to help entrepreneurs and social enterprises develop and grow their businesses.

She will also lead the Low Carbon - Community and Culture Project - awarding grants to help community and cultural organisations responsible for public-facing buildings in Sheffield to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Ruth Willis, CEO of South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation, said:

Jess joins us in what has been an incredibly busy period of grant giving for the Community Foundation, but she’s hit the ground running - impressing with her enthusiasm, professionalism, creativity and commitment. It’s a pleasure to have her in the team.