Saffron Building Society doubles charity grant scheme
14th March 2023
Saffron Building Society launched the Saffron Community Fund 11 years ago and, for the first time since its inception, will open grant applications twice throughout the year.
In 2023, the Saffron Community Fund can also announce its largest grant sum – with over £75,000 being awarded in total throughout the year.
Applications for the first round of grants have now closed and the Saffron Community Grant Panel, which is made up of employees and members, can announce that 18 charitable organisations are set to benefit.
The successful applicants from the first round are 1st Chesterford Scout Group, Bishop’s Stortford Child Contact Centre, Bishop’s Stortford Youth Project, Braintree District Mencap, Colchester Gateway Club, Dig It Community Allotment, Herts Inclusive Theatre, Lighthouse Furniture Project, Newport Meet and Eat, Next Chapter, Rehabilitation, Education & Assessment Care for Hippotherapy, SNAP Special Needs & Parents Ltd, Stansted Mental Health Initiative, Support 4 Sight, Tabor Centre, The OutHouse, Wilderness Foundation, and Heads2Minds. Over £50,000 will be split among the applicants, depending on the amounts they applied for.
The Saffron Community Fund provides grants to charities, community groups, and volunteer organisations across the East of England. The fund is run independently, in partnership, with the Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Claire Hunnable, Community Business Partner at Saffron Building Society, said: “It’s a real privilege to be able to support our local communities with the Saffron Community Fund, and to extend that support twice throughout the year for the first time brings us such joy. At Saffron Building Society we do the right things for the right reasons and reaching out to worthy causes across the East of England is paramount to us and our members.”
Caroline Taylor, Chief Executive of ECF, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on local charities as they struggle to balance an increase in demand for their services with rising costs. The grants available from Saffron’s Fund with us will give them a welcome boost and make a significant difference at this challenging time.”
Find out how we can help your local business to give back in Essex, here.
Douglas Allen Estate Agents support local community with vital funds
10th March 2023
Since January, Douglas Allen Estate Agents have donated £100 to local community food banks every time they attend a property valuation to help support their local communities with the growing cost-of-living crisis.
The cost-of-living crisis has been affecting so many and Douglas Allen Estate Agents have, once again, put their charitable foot forward to help local community food banks in Essex and Kent.
So far, the campaign, led by Group Managing Director, Aldo Sotgiu, has raised over £750,000, helping over 90 individual food banks.
Aware of the impact that the cost-of-living crisis was having on families over winter and following the success of their £1 million campaign for Barnardo’s Children’s Charity at the end of 2022, Douglas Allen estate agents knew how important it was to go even further. That’s why they continued to donate £100 for every property they valued, with a focus on food banks and local community pantries.
On top of these generous donations, their agents have been visiting their local food banks to learn, volunteer and raise awareness of the local food banks in their area.
Douglas Allen have been supporting their local communities, providing support to local charities through their local community foundations and in partnership with The Paul Rooney Family Foundation, for many years now.
Group Managing Director, Aldo Sotgiu said “It has been a truly humbling experience for all of us to learn more about how food banks support our local communities. To be able to support and provide in a way that gives back to our community is a great feeling and there is still so much more help we need to give over the coming months. I just want to take this opportunity to extend a huge thank you to all our staff and customers who have made this possible.”
This won’t be the end of charitable endeavours for the estate agents as, for the second year running, they will be supporting vital funds for their charity partner, The Children’s Trust, and are planning a year filled with charitable activities and challenges.
We are proud to work with them on this emergency support and to get grants out to food banks in Essex.
Apply for a grant here.
Find out how we help businesses to give back in Essex here.
Prestigious awards ceremony recognises local charities
9th March 2023
Over 20 local charities and voluntary organisations that address crime, community safety and anti-social behaviour received recognition and grants at the High Sheriffs’ Awards.
Among the projects receiving funding is support for families who have experienced domestic abuse, safety sessions for young carers and setting up a youth forum for the LGBTQ+ community.
Around 180 guests attended this year’s ceremony held at Hylands House in Chelmsford with support from Essex County Council, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and Chelmsford City Council. BBC Essex presenters, Steve Scruton and Ian Wyatt, announced the award winners and conversations were broadcast live throughout the evening show.
Trophies, certificates and 23 grants totalling £38,000 were presented by the outgoing High Sheriff of Essex, Nicholas Alston CBE DL.
The grants came from the High Sheriffs’ Fund, which was established to give credit to local initiatives that address crime, community safety and anti-social behaviour, and is managed by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Nicholas Alston CBE DL, the 842nd of High Sheriff of Essex, has visited voluntary organisations around the county during his year of office, learning about their work and presenting certificates of recognition to dedicated volunteers. He said, “The Awards ceremony is a wonderful occasion and gave me, and the other attendees, the chance to acknowledge more publicly, and to reward, some of the outstanding work being undertaken by groups of all sorts around the county, that help build and sustain safer communities.
“These organisations often work with those who are vulnerable or marginalised and, at a time of a growing cost-of-living crisis, sadly their needs are increasing. I had the privilege to visit many of these groups during my year, to learn about their work, and to thank them.”
The organisation presented with the coveted High Sheriffs Shield was St Vincent de Paul Society, in Southend, for their work supporting people who are homeless.
Other trophies presented on the night were:
- The High Sheriffs’ Cup, presented to Kool Carers for their safety sessions for young carers in Basildon and Brentwood.
- The Essex County Council Bowl which recognises voluntary organisations that work in partnership to deliver programmes, was awarded to South Essex Advocacy Services. They are raising awareness of financial abuse for those who have been a victim of this crime in Southend, working with the Police, the Council and other local organisations.
- The Essex County Fire & Rescue Shield, which recognises an organisation’s work with young people, was awarded to The Outhouse. They are establishing a youth forum for the young LGBTQ+ community across Colchester and Tendring to help address concerns, increase well-being and improve community understanding.
- The Essex Police Cup, given to Alpha Vesta to pilot a programme supporting families who have experienced domestic abuse.
Since the High Sheriffs’ Fund came under ECF’s management in 1997 it has distributed grants totalling over £700,000.
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of ECF, said, “We work with successive High Sheriff’s to ensure this funding gets out to local charities and voluntary groups that are working in their hearts of their communities, so they can help tackle crime and safety issues”.
On top of the £38,000 being presented from the High Sheriff’s Fund, ECF will award an additional £114,000 to the charities from other funds under its management.
The office of High Sheriff is an independent non-political Royal appointment for a single year. The High Sheriff receives no expenses and the role comes at no cost to the public purse.
A full list of all grants presented at the Awards can be found here.
Photos can be viewed and downloaded here.
Essex women giving back to their local community
8th March 2023
Republished with permission from Essex Life.
Women are making their mark in Essex by using their skills, energy and entrepreneurial drive to make life better for people in the county.
An increase in the number of female philanthropists who have the insight, desire and financial ability to help others has meant that more money is being channelled towards issues affecting women.
With the month of March incorporating International Women’s Day (on 8 March) the focus is on promoting equality and creating opportunities for women to improve their lives.
Here we highlight two community-minded women who have committed to giving long-term support to local voluntary organisations in Essex by setting up their own charitable funds with the independent trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Lara Fox
Talented young businesswoman, Lara Fox, is Managing Director of Objective, a family-run Essex tech agency offering software development, data analytics and consultancy services. She is also mum to two children aged 1 and 2.
In 2019, she won the Institute of Directors, Young Director of the Year Award for the East of England, which recognises leadership talent. Lara also has a Certificate in Professional Marketing from CIM and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Essex.
Lara, who lives in Great Baddow, said: “Taking over my family business was a big step, but incredibly important to me. My mother, Cath, set up the business and we have all worked hard to make it successful.
“Supporting our local community is important to us both individually and as a business. In 2016, we decided to do something more permanent and set up the Honalee Fund with ECF.
“We focus our giving on charities in Chelmsford and have supported projects helping people who are homeless, a youth club providing activities for young people and group sessions for teenagers who have survived cancer.”
Nicki Alvey
Nicki Alvey had a successful career in marketing and senior management roles in both the private, commercial and not-for-profit sectors.
In 2002 she broadened the scope of her social endeavours when she was appointed as a Magistrate for North Essex.
In 2015, she set up her fund with ECF, called the ‘Nicki Alvey Bazlinton Trust’, with a focus on supporting women who have experienced abuse, helping young women to gain skills and confidence and reaching out to older women who might be suffering from isolation in their own homes.
Nicki, who lives in North West Essex, said: “I have seen throughout my life, including my time as a Magistrate, how women can be unfairly impacted by what is happening around them. I hope that the grants I give out annually from my fund with ECF will help Essex women and girls to get the support they need and achieve their full potential”.
Recent grants from Nicki’s fund have supported a counselling service for survivors of domestic abuse and to provide online creative workshops for young girls who are at risk of sexual exploitation.
Research shows that:
- Single women tend to donate more often than single men.
- Women usually favour making long-term regular donations to the same charities, whereas men prefer to make larger, one-off donations and are happy to be guided by friends and business contacts as to who to support.
- Women want to give back to the causes close to their heart and will look to build a relationship with a charity.
GET INVOLVED
Whether you’re a local charity or resident or a business wanting to make a donation, we would love to hear from you.
Contact us on 01245 355947 / hello@essexcf.org.uk
Read more about giving back locally here.
Four fantastic organisations receive almost £100,000 to support hundreds of local residents
7th March 2023
The Braintree District and Eastlight Community Fund was set up in 2015 by Braintree District Council and Eastlight Community Homes with Essex Community Foundation (ECF) and has now awarded £1.1 million to local charities and causes.
Abberton Rural Training’s (ART) “lifeline” programmes help to support people’s mental health and save lives.
ART provides education and training in a range of land-based studies, to help vulnerable people to gain confidence, hope, qualifications and employment in an outdoor-setting. The £25,800 funded will help them to continue to support the disadvantaged, vulnerable and isolated, through supporting more people at their Cressing Temple site, providing transport for Braintree residents to various sites, developing a Halstead programme and tree-planting.
Jacqui Stone, ART Chief Executive Officer, said: “The current financial situation is having a huge impact on our participants. We served 94 free bowls of soup a week over the winter due to people attending who hadn’t eaten for days. We are a lifeline to so many vulnerable and isolated people who depend on us to give them hope, get them out of the house, learn new skills, keep them active and healthy and to be able to access mental health support.”
£27,000 has been awarded to the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse (CARA) to continue vital counselling sessions to people of all ages affected by sexual violence.
Helen Parr, Chief Executive Officer, said: “This is the third multi-year grant CARA has received from the Fund and we very much appreciate this continued support for our work.
“The grant will contribute to the costs of our specialist sexual violence counselling service for people in the Braintree area – supporting around 120 victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse.”
Essex Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs has been funded £24,000 to provide events, activities and outdoor pursuits to pupils from three schools in Braintree who are disengaged and struggling.
Sue Pell, Club Support, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from this fund to enable us to deliver the Respect Project in the Braintree area.
“Since its inception in 2000, the project has made a huge difference to many young people. It has given opportunity for life changing experiences.”
Soul Food was started by The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of St Andrew with Holy Trinity Halstead during the pandemic to get hots meals to those who need them. It’s receiving £20,750 to now provide a sit-down community meal to 40 people each week to anyone in need in Halstead.
James Green, Eastlight’s Community Investment Director, said: “We are committed to supporting people in our communities to feel safe, well and connected. Many local organisations and charities have been hit really hard by the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis and that impacts on those they provide lifeline support to. We will continue to be here to help to make a real difference to the lives of local people.”
Cllr Frankie Ricci, Cabinet Member for Communities at Braintree District Council, said: “Community groups and initiatives such as these provide much needed support to residents of the Braintree District. I am glad we have been able to provide this important funding to help them continue at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is making it a difficult time for many.”
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation, said: “It is a tough time for local charities and voluntary groups as they try to cope with the rising cost-of-living and increased energy prices.
“The funding that will be given to organisations over the next three years from the Braintree District and Eastlight Community Fund will hopefully help to ease their immediate financial concerns and enable them to plan their work over a longer period so they can continue to support their clients.”
To find out more about the Fund and grants available, please click here or call us on 01245 355947.
Spreading the love
16th February 2023
Republished with permission of Essex Life.
“We love being based in Essex and giving back to the community. Essex is our home, we have never lived anywhere else.” Jason and Lisa Bartella, the owners of Pontlands Park Hotel, share their love story, what it is like to work together, and how they involve their children in giving back to Essex charities.
Love is a driving force for Jason and Lisa Bartella, in family life, their business and their connection with the community in Essex.
Born and bred in the county, the couple, who have just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, successfully combine working together in their family business, being the parents of three daughters and helping those less fortunate than themselves.
Jason is the Managing Director of the Heritage Leisure Group incorporating Ivy Hill Hotel in Margaretting and Pontlands Park in Great Baddow, having taken over from his father Robert when he retired some years ago. Jason and Lisa together, run Pontlands Park and as a way of giving back to the community, where their businesses are based, the family has the well-established Bartella Charitable Fund, run by the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF).It means that Jason and Lisa and their three daughters Lilli, 22, Fabi, 19 and Frankie,14 can see at first-hand the impact of their Fund which gives grants to local causes, especially those providing help and support to children.
Jason said: “I think it’s important for us as a family to have a greater involvement in the community, and personal links to some of the charities we support.”
A deep-felt devotion to Essex is a pivotal part of Jason and Lisa’s life. “We love being based in Essex and giving back to the community. Essex is our home, we have never lived anywhere else.” said Lisa.
Jason was born in Brentwood and grew up in Stock. Lisa was born in Chelmsford and grew up in Great Waltham.
Lisa said: “We met when I was 17 and came to work at Pontlands, where Jason, who was 25, interviewed me. Although Jason will be the first one to admit he’s not a great romantic, we’re very fortunate that, due to hard work, we have had many great moments in life. But it’s not about what these moments are, it’s about who they were with.”
“We were married in the Lilli Suite at Pontlands in January of 2003 in an intimate ceremony followed by a cocktail party with close friends and family. Working together as a married couple has been good for us, with a relationship based on respect and trust for each other. Communication is the key.”
“We have supported each other through life’s ups and downs, putting our families and loved ones first, but never forgetting how important we are to one another.”
Jason said: “As a family and as a business we had to draw on our strengths throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The support we gave each other was combined with the need to reassure customers and staff that there would still be a business and that everything would be okay.”
ECF has played a major role in the Bartella’s love for the county, from the time Jason and his father Robert set up the family’s charitable fund in 2004 through to Jason being a trustee for eight years and now a Vice President of the Foundation.
Jason and Lisa have made their passion for Essex and giving from the heart to good causes in the community a way of life and a truly enduring love.
“I tell everyone I can about ECF and our Fund with them because I am so passionate about it,” said Jason. “Having the Fund is such an enjoyable thing for our family. We come together to sit around the dining room table to discuss the funding applications ECF sends to us and decide which ones to support. There are so many charities that need funding, and we are grateful to be in the position to help in the small way that we can.”
For more information about how your family can set up a Fund with us, click here or call 01245 355947.