Sharing the latest news from Essex Community Foundation including;

  • Do you need support to help your charity thrive
  • Turning Proceeds of Crime into something good
  • Help the most vulnerable this winter
  • Heart of the County
  • Recognition for Countryside Champion

 

To all our supporters, we hope you have had a good start to 2024.

Here at the Community Foundation, January puts us at half way through our financial year and we have already given over £1.6 million in grants to local charities and voluntary groups.  It has been a busy start to the new year for our grants team who are currently reviewing 149 applications requesting just over £1million of funding to support core costs and a wide range of activities and projects across Essex.

So, what is in store for local charities in 2024?  It is difficult to predict, but we do know that it is not going to get any easier financially as charities face higher demand, while struggling with declining income and significantly higher costs.  A recent survey carried out by Charities Aid Foundation showed that the proportion of charities having to turn people away, rose in the last quarter of 2023.

There will also be a general election either in the Spring or the Autumn and this will bring lots of campaigning and discussions at all levels.  If you are talking with candidates in your area, please remind them of the vital role that charities and voluntary groups play in helping local people in need and ask them about their plans to support them.

We continue to advocate for our local voluntary and community sector and raise awareness of their amazing work, encouraging people to give so that we can increase the amount of funding we have available.  If you are interested to know more about our work and how we can help you to support local charities and voluntary groups, please get in touch.

Caroline Taylor, Chief Executive

 

Do you need support to help your charity thrive

We are pleased to work with the Cranfield Trust to deliver the Thrive Programme in Essex.
Volunteers from the business sector are matched to charities to work their CEOs, to help strengthen their skills so the organisation can move forward and meet future challenges.
The results can be transformational!

If you would like to be part of the next cohort call us now on 01245 355947.  You can find out more here.

Turning Proceeds of Crime into something good

The Essex Police Proceeds of Crime Matched Funding Scheme was set up with us in 2014 and it is unique in the UK.
We use the matched funding to incentivise local giving and increase the support we can give to charities and voluntary groups to support work contributing to community safety in the County.
Children Heard and Seen and Next Chapter are two charities that have recently received support.

Read more here.

Help the most vulnerable this winter

The recent cold snap in the weather reminded us that we are still in the midst of the Winter months.
This can be an isolating and difficult time for many people, especially those who are vulnerable.
Please support our Surviving Winter Appeal to ensure that local charities can remain open and provide a warm, welcoming space, hot meals, advice and guidance to those who need it.

Read more and to support the Appeal click here.

Heart of the County

The January issue of Essex Life includes a great feature about the Essex Heart Fund.
All donations to the Fund are spent solely in the county, on community services and support groups for patients and their families, the development of new hospital-based clinical services and to support local cardiovascular education and research.

To find out more and how to support the Fund click here.

Recognition for Countryside Champion

We are delighted that Robert Erith, one of our founding trustees and a Vice President, has been awarded a British Empire Medal in the King’s New Year’s Honours list “For Services to the Environment in Dedham Vale in Essex and Suffolk”.

Read more here