Evening Standard Dispossessed fund passes £1.3 million

Community Foundation Network - which is administering the Dispossessed Fund set up by the Evening Standard to support small community organisations across London - passed its £1 million target in just 24 days and by 23 August stood at £1.3million. With private donations being matched pound for pound by the Government from its Grassroots Grants programme, over £2 million will now be available to support groups working to tackle poverty and address disadvantage across the Capital. Fundraising is, however, continuing to meet the demand evident from the hundreds of applications for support received since the Fund’s launch on 20th July 2010. The Evening Standard has committed to supporting the London local funders in what is a unique collaboration between grassroots charities and a national newspaper. The initiative also enjoys the full support of Community Development Foundation (CDF), who manage the overall programme on behalf of the Government. Major corporate donors include many of the City’s biggest banks such as Goldman Sachs, Barclays and Rothschild, while others contributing five and six figure sums include the Westfield Shopping Centre, Lush owners Mark and Mo Constantine, and Top Shop boss, Sir Philip Green. Individual supporters of the campaign include the Prime Minister, Prince William, Desmond Tutu, Boris Johnson and Rio Ferdinand. David Cameron describes the campaign as “stirring the conscience of this city [London], moving people to act and donate.” While Martha Lane-Fox, founder of lastminute.com, has called the campaign “an important wake up call for London.” Stephen Hammersley, CEO of CFN, says: “The Evening Standard’s support has made a huge difference to the ability of local Grassroots funders to support small community groups across London. To raise over £1 million in such a short space of time is frankly incredible. This is a model which, if replicated across Britain’s major cities, could transform funding for small community groups.” Alison Seabrooke, Chief Executive of Community Development Foundation, says: “The Grassroots Grants endowment match challenge is leaving a legacy of support for the most disadvantaged groups across the UK. The success of this campaign demonstrates the generosity of London residents and businesses. It is giving a sustainable future to the small community groups in the Capital, making a real difference on the ground.” Further donations are welcome to the campaign via a website set up specifically by CFN to support it: http://dispossessedfund.communityfoundations.org.uk More information on the Grassroots Grants endowment match challenge. ENDS Notes to editors: CFN is one of the leading independent grant-makers in the UK and it will be responsible for collecting donations online, liaising with the Government to organise the match-funding and managing the grant-allocation process through the Grassroots Grants local funders for London: • Capital Community Foundation • Cripplegate Foundation • Croydon Voluntary Action • Ealing and Brentford Consolidated Charity • East London Community Foundation • Enfield Voluntary Action • North West London Community Foundation • O-Regen • St Katherine and Shadwell Trust • Thames Community Foundation Community Foundation Network represents the community foundation movement in the UK. Its aim is to help donors create lasting value from their local giving through its network of 57 community foundations. Community foundations are charities located across the UK dedicated to strengthening local communities, creating opportunities and tackling issues of disadvantage and exclusion. Community foundations manage funds donated by individuals and organisations, building endowment and acting as the vital link between donors and local needs. 94% of the population live in the area of benefit of a community foundation and CFN manages funds on behalf of the Office for Civil Society, Big Lottery and Sports Relief as well as private philanthropists. The £130 million government-funded Grassroots Grants programme, which runs until 2011, is divided into two parts: an £80 million small grants fund for community organisations; and a groundbreaking £50 million endowment programme to enable local funders to generate additional donations on a matched basis and invest them in endowments, thereby building their capacity to provide long-term funding for frontline community organisations. The Grassroots Grants programme is managed by Community Development Foundation.

16 August 2010

London fund for the Dispossessed launches

On July 20 CFN launched a partnership with the London Evening Standard in support of the ten local funders delivering the Grassroots Grants programme across London. The Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund links to the paper’s previous "Dispossessed’ campaign which raised awareness of and funds for individuals and groups struggling with poverty across the capital. The campaign is running initially for two weeks and has two elements. Firstly, a fundraising drive to raise £1 million in endowment which, with the match, could total over £2 million to support communities across the capital in the future. Secondly to encourage community and voluntary groups across London to apply for up to £1 million of grant funding linked to the following ‘Dispossessed’ themes: ** Training and educating people who have dropped out of mainstream education ** Getting people into work such as through apprenticeship or mentor schemes ** Fighting gangs, knife and gun crime ** Improving mental and physical health and well-being, such as through sports clubs and helping carers ** Addressing other manifestations of poverty such as homelessness, pensioner poverty or the working poor Click here for further details

20 July 2010

Community foundations support The Big Lunch

Community Foundation Network and its members are supporting The Big Lunch in 2010 because of the synergy between their objectives – it’s all about building resilient communities that can effect change. The Big Lunch aims to break down barriers in communities and improve communication within them: to get neighbours to know each other and start to work together to try to make a difference locally. The Big Lunch actively promotes local charities, just as community foundations do. Community foundations encourage and facilitate local giving and directly support grassroots projects. The Big Lunch is inviting all 61 million people across the UK to sit down and have lunch with neighbours, in the middle of the street on Sunday 18 July as a simple act of community. To show how local people can change a neighbourhood for good, forever. To discover common ground across age, class, faith, race and the garden fence. And to remind everyone that charity begins at home. Stephen Hammersley, CFN Chief Executive, says: “We share The Big Lunch’s ideal that the world can be better if we together unlock the potential within communities to resolve their own problems. This is the nation’s local street party.” The Big Lunch took place for the first time last year with over 8,000 lunches in every kind of community all across the UK. Up to a million people took to the streets in the biggest set of street parties since the Golden Jubilee. Eight out of ten said they felt closer to their neighbours as a result. Supporting or organising a Big Lunch in your area is really easy. The Big Lunch website and printed Ideas Booklet take you through the process step by step, giving you the tools, templates and resources to make it as simple as possible. You'll find inspirational ideas and helpful tips on the website and can link with others planning a Big Lunch in your street or area by simply entering your post code on the Big Lunch map.

11 May 2010

OTHER STORIES

	23 March 2010: Over £38 million in Grassroots Grants provide much needed help in communities
	21 January 2010: Record year for CFN despite recession
	9 December 2009: Cumbria Flood Recovery Fund topped £2 million.

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