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.
Saffron Walden Music Festival celebrates 10 years
1st February 2023
Saffron Walden Music Festival is celebrating a decade of bringing music to our ears and now, thanks to a funding boost, it has been able to expand.
A grant of £750 from Essex Community Foundation (ECF), has enabled the Festival to modernise and broaden its scope to include a percussion and jazz section.
The funding came from two charitable funds managed by ECF – the Sebright Fund and the Brian and Julie Cue Fund, both of which support musical activities in Essex.
The festival, which was set up in 2012, gives budding young musicians the opportunity to play in a competitive environment. Their latest event took place in November 2022 at Saffron Hall and attracted over 200 young people from around the area. It left a lasting enthusiasm for music-making and was an inspiring experience for local musicians looking to develop their musical abilities.
Each section of the Festival was judged by a professional adjudicator, with the newly formed jazz section being welcomed by well-known jazz pianist, Kate Williams.
Certificates, medals, and trophies were presented, with the overall winner of the event receiving the coveted Festival Cup.
Amanda Shaw, who is a Committee Member for the Festival, said: “The past two years have been difficult for music in so many ways but particularly for our younger, developing musicians, as they have been deprived of live performance opportunities for such a long period of time.”
“There are families in the area who have had very little experience of live music, but our Festival, and indeed schools, passionately want to encourage children to contemplate taking up an instrument.”
She added, “We aim to give all young musicians, their teachers and their families the opportunity to be inspired by the Festival and to enjoy live music.”
Polly Lankester, Headteacher of Saffron Walden County High School where the Festival is hosted said: “The Saffron Walden Music Festival has had an amazing journey since its first event in 2012. From small beginnings in the modest surroundings of the music block with a single adjudicator, to seven sections plus a parallel Jazz event and celebratory concerts in Saffron Hall, it has been a joyful adventure and Saffron Walden County High School has been proud to host this wonderful festival of live performance for local young musicians”.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at ECF, said: “We are pleased to have supported the Music Festival, helping them to give a platform to young musicians and an opportunity for them to perform live.
“We work with a number of fundholders who are keen to support individuals, children and young people, where finance is the barrier to them improving either their musical talents, their sporting ambitions or their educational opportunities. For anyone who is interested, please get in touch and have a conversation with us.”
To find out more about ECF and funding for local charities, community groups, and individuals click here.
If you want to discuss how we can help you to give back to Essex communities, please call us on 01245 355947.
How COVID-19 made charities ‘think digital’
31st January 2023
Third-sector organisations were among that hardest hit by the swift digitalisation early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Just under half had no access to digital funding, and one in five cancelled services because they lacked the skills or technology to deliver them.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation (ECF), an independent charitable trust which awards around £4.5 million in grants to Essex- based charities and voluntary groups annually, explains how the pandemic was a catalyst for change for many local charities.
“The first COVID-19 lockdown happened so quickly that many charities had little time to prepare. Their work was often carried out in person, so not only did they need to rethink how they could continue to deliver their services differently and from a distance, but they had to find the money necessary to equip themselves to work digitally.
“When we surveyed our grant partners to find out what they needed, 75% of them highlighted ‘digital’ as a key issue for their organisation. Thanks to emergency relief funds, and the generosity of our fundholders who choose to support their local communities through us, we were able to award £1.6 million to Essex charities and voluntary groups to help them navigate their way through the pandemic. This included funding to help move services online, upgrade IT equipment and upskill staff and volunteers.
“The pandemic exposed the digital divide for the voluntary and community sector, but it also provided the catalyst for change and charities were quick to respond to the needs of their communities and their beneficiaries and consider different ways of working.
“It is vital we continue to invest in the digital capabilities of charities so they can future proof themselves. Our ‘Digital Grants Programme’ helps voluntary organisations in Essex to improve how they operate using technology and enable people to access services through digital platforms.
“We encourage those supported by the Programme to collaborate with each other, share their learning and come together to hear from digital experts who can help them to think differently about how they deliver their services.”
How we have helped
Using technology to streamline services
We funded Cool to be Kind to set up an easy-to-use digital platform, in partnership with the Chelmsford Homelessness Forum. This will connect charities and collate information for people who are homeless in Chelmsford or are at risk of becoming so. The platform also helps organisations to share best practice and intelligence between themselves so they can develop their services, collaborate and address the needs of the homeless community in the future.
Keeping people connected
Our funding helped charities to use social media and engage with their beneficiaries in a new way. Abberton Rural Training is an educational charity that provides horticultural skills training alongside therapeutic support and mentoring opportunities to a wide range of people from their base in rural Colchester. When participants could no longer physically attend their centre, they came to us for funding for the innovative ‘Grow Your Own’ project.
They sent out seed packs to over 1,000 households across six Districts and encouraged people to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs at home, supported by online videos. Then they asked them to share photos of updates in a Facebook group.
This was an excellent boost to residents’ physical and mental health by helping them to learn new skills and stay connected during lockdowns.
Future proofing
Essex Blind Charity, received £9,265 to help redevelop their mobile IT infrastructure and CRM system. Jonathan Dixon, General Manager of Essex Blind Charity, said: “Our referrals are often newly diagnosed people who are struggling to come to terms with their sight loss. We visit them in their homes and our new CRM system means we can collect client information all one place, and as it is cloud based, the whole team can access it both on the move and at the same time.”
How can you help local charities?
- Make a donation online here
- Consider becoming a Trustee for a local charity and share your knowledge and expertise
- Share our work and funding opportunities when you can
ECF works with a number of businesses in Essex, helping them to support local communities, engage with their staff and embed a long-term approach into their corporate ethos. This includes Teledyne e2v, Birketts, Beresfords, Britvic and Saffron Building Society. For more information, click here or call Perry Norton on 01245 355947.
Does your charity need funding? Apply to the Essex Fund
24th January 2023
Essex based charities are encouraged to apply now for financial support from the ‘Essex Fund’ to keep their services and projects running.
The Fund, which is managed by the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation, was set up by Essex County Council in 2000 to provide annual support to the voluntary and community sector in Essex. Since it was set up, the Fund has given out nearly £1.5 million in grants.
Organisations and projects that help unpaid carers, improve the environment or engage people in environmental projects, provide a community resource or activities that help young people, including arts, culture and heritage projects, are all eligible for consideration.
Groups can apply for up to £5,000 towards their core and operating expenditure, project costs or capital items.
Cllr Eddie Johnson, Chairman of Essex County Council, said: “We know that the current cost-of-living and rising energy bills are having a significant impact on local charities. We encourage them to contact ECF to talk about their funding needs to continue their vital work supporting people in need in our local communities.”
Charitable activities that have received funding in previous years include interactive musical performances in care homes, mental health support for young people, and woodland well-being sessions for children with Down syndrome.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at ECF, said: “We are pleased to manage the Essex Fund and work with the decision-making panel at the council to get funding to where it is needed most.
“The panel are particularly interested in supporting smaller voluntary organisations and projects that are working in areas of deprivation where there is a lack of facilities.
“There is a short application form on our website and our friendly grants team are on hand to help on 01245 355947 or grants@essexcf.org.uk if you have any questions or want to discuss an idea. You can also contact us through our website or via social media.”
How to apply:
The deadline to apply to the Essex Fund has now closed. However, if you need funding, please get in touch.
Book space at our new Foundation Hub!
20th January 2023
Essex-based charities and community groups are being encouraged to use a new, flexible working space, available free of charge.
Our ‘Foundation Hub’, in central Chelmsford, provides a fully accessible workspace with multiple desks and meeting rooms and includes free Wi-Fi, air conditioning/heating plus tea and coffee, and is open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 4:30pm.
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of Essex Community Foundation, said: “Foundation Hub enables us to extend our support for the voluntary sector in Essex, beyond our grantmaking.
“Our grant partners, past and current, that work in Essex, Southend or Thurrock, are invited to make use of the space and we hope that it will be a valuable resource to support their work, which has a real buzz to it.
“Groups may only need it for an hour, a meeting or a training session or just want to work in a different environment for the day. Whatever the reason, the Foundation Hub has something for all.”
Find out more and BOOK NOW.