The gift of giving – Essex Life Interview
21st December 2022
Republished with permission from Essex Life.
Caroline Taylor, CEO of Essex Community Foundation, tells us about the charitable fund’s incredible work, from when it was launched by the owners of Trebor confectionary to how it’s helping residents with the challenges of Christmas during a cost-of-living crisis.
Essex Community Foundation (ECF), a charitable fund giving away millions of pounds to local charities, was born out of the passion and vision of Ian and Angela Marks. An Essex family, the Marks were owners of Trebor confectionary, which was based in Colchester from 1980. Following the sale of the company to Cadbury, they were able to establish ECF in 1996 as a way in which people could work together, through the foundation, to commit to long-term support for their community.
‘They have always been a generous family, and Trebor was a very forward-thinking company,’ Caroline says. After they sold their business to Cadbury, they devoted much of their time to philanthropy. I know that term can be problematic, but for us and Ian and Angela it is about connecting, engaging and giving back. It was not about simply making one-off donations, but using their experience to develop new ideas for charities and for long-term sustainable social change. Sadly, Ian died in 2018, but Angela is still very much involved.’
At the foundation, they find that most people are incredibly generous with whatever resources they have. Caroline says, ‘If ever you have a bad day, the best thing to do is visit one of our charities or read one of the grant assessments because it’s inspiring to see how many people are doing things for their community.’
Caroline tells me about when Ian and Angela first set up the foundation – they gathered the High Sheriff of Essex, the chair of the council, the Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, the chief constable and other influential people and made them all stand in a circle and hold hands to create a bond between them. ‘That’s just who Ian was,’ Caroline says. ‘He was a visionary and we know that he would be very proud of what we have achieved.’
And what achievements they are. Since 1996, it has given away tens of millions of pounds in grants. ‘These are mostly small grants to small organisations – behind which are countless dedicated people who are working quietly in our communities.’
Charities can apply online for funding at any time and the ECF team are proactive in going out to organisations and seeing how they can help. ‘As grant-makers, we work in partnership with our charities,’ Caroline explains. ‘We have to give our money away – that’s what we exist to do!’
Caroline lives on the coast just outside Colchester, and her background is in TV production. In the early noughties, she took on a temporary position as an events manager for the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and it was their campaign work that inspired her to stay in the charity sector. She started in the grants team of the ECF in 2005 and worked her way up.
‘It’s people that inspire me in my job – the hundreds of volunteers and staff who go above and beyond for others. It was so evident throughout Covid, when charities were right there ready to respond. Within days of the first lockdown, they had organised themselves to get food, medicine, etc. to vulnerable people. They set a pace that we followed, and we had grant funding going out within days.’
With Christmas just around the corner, and a cost-of-living crisis affecting the whole country, our charities will step it up again this festive period. And the ECF will be there to support them. ‘There’s always someone on our present list who has everything,’ Caroline says. ‘Why not give the gift of giving and make a charitable donation in their name? So many of our donors say how joyful giving is.’
ECF staff have a team fund, into which everyone makes a financial contribution each month. At Christmas, they give this to a charity in Essex to pay for a team celebration. ‘Charities work so hard and it often goes unrewarded. So, from our team to theirs, we want to treat them to something special,’ Caroline says.
But it’s the people that charities help that really drive her. ‘I met a young lad on a visit to Chelmsford Young Offenders Institution. It was his fifth time in there – petty stuff, really, mostly non-payment of bills. He had lived in the care system all his life and simply didn’t know how to manage his money or his life – he was so dependent on the system. It’s issues like this that make me love my job, because I know we can help.
‘Since the foundation began, we have given £47 million in grants to around 8,000 organisations. When you consider that the average grant size is around £7,000, you realise that there are tens of thousands of people’s stories behind those grants. There are an estimated 10,000 charities in Essex, from small local groups such as Autumn Leaves, a club offering companionship and entertainment for older people, to county-wide organisations like Essex Boys & Girls Clubs, who help young people realise their potential.
‘Next year is going to be tough, because charities have gone through such a hard time during Covid, with huge increases in demand and falling income because so many fundraising activities had to stop. Now, we have a cost-of-living crisis and charities are concerned as to how they will cope with rising costs.
‘We need to respond quickly, and already in the last three months we have given more than £1million in grants. However, we could easily give more, which is why we work hard to encourage more people to give back to Essex. We are all about local communities, and we want to generate as much money as we can for them.
‘We have been incredibly lucky that a local family has just given us lovely new office premises in Chelmsford rent-free for the next 25 years. We have already started to share the space with other charities and we want to do more of this next year.’
Get Involved
Whether you’re a local charity or a resident or business wanting to make a donation, we would love to hear from you. Call us on 01245 355947 or e-mail hello@essexcf.org.uk.
Hearing Help Essex is the 5000th Cranfield Trust project
Cranfield Trust, the UK’s leading provider of pro bono management support and mentoring to social welfare charities has completed its 5000th project with Hearing Help Essex, providing £33million worth of support to the third sector through the pro bono consultancy and mentoring support since it was founded.
Hearing Help Essex CEO, Sophie Ede, approached Cranfield Trust for pro bono support when the charity embarked on an ambitious growth strategy, aiming to double their services. Sophie was matched with Cranfield Trust volunteer, a recently retired HR director, to provide support in managing the planned growth. As a result of the support, Hearing Help Essex is now helping more local people who have acquired hearing loss.
The 5000th project with Hearing Help Essex is one of the projects featured in Cranfield Trust’s Impact Report, which outlines the support the charity has provided to hundreds of charities during the last year.
Amanda Tincknell CBE, Cranfield Trust CEO, comments on the achievement, “We are thrilled to have reached such a significant milestone for Cranfield Trust and proud to have provided pro bono support to thousands of social welfare charities across England, Scotland and Wales over the last 33 years, working with them to sustain their vital services. This is an incredible achievement and is thanks to the dedication, determination and expertise of our volunteers and staff and to our partners and funders who support our work, helping us to help hundreds of charities every year.
“With the challenges charities are facing as a result of the cost of living crisis, our support and the expertise of our volunteers has never been needed more, to help charity leaders strengthen key management skills and through mentoring, to support them personally. To see that the impact of our 5000th completed project has supported Hearing Help Essex to increase its services for beneficiaries feels even more important, when so many people need the support of charities, and charities are struggling to meet increased demands and pressures. We are here to help those charities.”
CEO Sophie Ede summed up the success of the 5000th project and how it has given them the capacity and resilience to support future growth, “Our beneficiaries are already feeling the benefit of this project as we scale up our services to support more people. As a direct result of this project, we have increased our capacity and we are already reaching 36% more individuals than we were this time last year. The support from Cranfield Trust has been invaluable.”
Hearing Help Essex was supported through the successful Thrive Programme, a partnership between Cranfield Trust and Essex Community Foundation to help organisations build capacity and skills in business and leadership. Organisations taking part receive a 12 month leadership development programme, plus bespoke advice and consultancy on a one-to-one basis from Cranfield Trust volunteers, funded by Essex Community Foundation.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation, said: “This is a really critical time for charities, particularly smaller, grassroots organisations working in the hearts of local communities, like Hearing Help Essex.
“They need support to get through this turbulent time and we are grateful to work in partnership through our Thrive Programme with Cranfield Trust. They care about helping organisations to build capacity, become more effective and sustainable for the future.”
Essex voluntary and community organisations in need of funding are encouraged to call the ECF grants team on 01245 355947 or e-mail grants@essexcf.org.uk. Apply for support here.
The cost-of-living crisis: How we are helping
1st December 2022
Click here to give now to our Appeal.
The cost-of-living crisis is having a profound impact on people’s lives as they struggle to pay their mortgage or rent and buy food, alongside rising energy bills. We also know that low-income households are most affected.
For the voluntary sector, the cost-of-living crisis has worsened an already challenging situation, as many organisations are still recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Research by the Charities Aid Foundation revealed that 82% of charity leaders are concerned about managing their bills and 35% about their ability to survive the crisis.
Charities need immediate and effective support, and we are committed to providing this, as much as we can to help organisations continue their work and support beneficiaries.
We have always recognised the importance of funding core costs to help groups deliver their services, and this is now more important than ever. As part of our immediate response, we are providing grants to help groups directly impacted by the crisis including foodbanks, warm hubs, and other cost-of-living activities with rent, utilities, volunteer and fuel expenses and salaries. We will also have a focus on supporting applications from organisations to help those most in need including foodbanks, warm hubs, and other cost-of-living activities.
To help inform our medium to long-term approach, as part of our Community Listening Project we will be contacting charities to better understand how the crisis is impacting their work, and where we need to direct our support.
Additionally, our online application form has also been updated so organisations can include information about how the crisis is affecting them.
We will share the insights from the Project as soon as it is available.
For organisations needing support, please contact us in one of the following ways:
- Call: 01245 355947
- E-mail: grants@essexcf.org.uk
- Twitter and Instagram
- Use that chat now box through our website
Additional support available in Essex:
Read the Cost of Living Support resource pack for Essex organisations from Active Essex and Essex County Council.
Festive cheer for two charities
29th November 2022
Two exceptional Essex charities have been given a funding boost to recognise their team spirit and outstanding work over the past year.
The charities, Essex Search and Rescue and Thurrock CVS, were chosen for a special award by staff and volunteers at the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
In the course of its vital work ECF has close contact with hundreds of local charities, distributing grants to good causes from the funds it manages on behalf of individuals, families, companies and statutory organisations.
ECF’s staff and volunteers have established their own Team Fund and each year they pick local charities who have had an exceptional year and have a team who deserve recognition by receiving some funding to do something special for themselves.
The staff and volunteers at Essex Search & Rescue and Thurrock CVS are receiving funding so that they can spend some relaxing time together.
Essex Search and Rescue is made up entirely of volunteers, who often work in difficult conditions to support Essex Police and other rescue services. Working in shifts that cover all hours, volunteers come across some upsetting circumstances including suicide attempts, fatalities and missing people. So far this year, the Search and Rescue volunteers have attended 70 call outs across Essex. They plan to spend their funding on a special meal out.
Thurrock CVS provides support to around 500 voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise groups in the Thurrock area. They also run a wide variety of projects including a home help service for those who have just left hospital.
The team has had a tough year, as in August, Kristina Jackson, their CEO of 11 years, sadly died. Her death had a big impact on the team, so they spent the money on a Christmas party, gathering together to mark the end of a difficult year and to begin the festive season.
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of ECF said: “Charities work so hard and would often not think of doing something for themselves. The grant from our team to theirs is meant to be a treat. They can put the money towards anything, but we encourage them to do something for themselves that they wouldn’t otherwise do and give their team a morale boost.
“Since we started our Team Fund in 2010, we have awarded more than £17,000 to the teams of 21 local charities, to thank them for all their hard work during the year and recognise their significant contribution to our local communities.”
For more information on supporting the work of local charities call ECF on 01245 355947.
East of England Co-op donates £100,000 to help sustain local warm hubs and foodbanks through the winter
The largest independent retailer in the east of England has donated £100,000 to helping people in the region keep warm and fed this winter. The East of England Co-op has re-directed funds from its Christmas marketing budget to go directly to local warm hubs and foodbanks, helping local people in need of support this winter.
Working with Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex Community Foundations, £70,000 will be split among warm hubs. Warm hubs have been set-up to provide those who need it with a warm space, food and drink. Critically, the hubs also provide guidance and signposting to additional support for people using the service.
The remaining £30,000 will be donated to 25 local foodbanks. The donations will be given out in foodbank parcels in the form of vouchers which can be used to pay for items such as groceries, electric and gas top-ups from the East of England Co-op.
The money would typically be spent on marketing leaflets featuring the East of England Co-op’s Christmas offers, usually distributed to 0.5m homes across the region. The donation will instead benefit thousands of local people through Christmas and into January, February and beyond.
Niall O’Keeffe, joint chief executive of the East of England Co-op said: “Warm hubs have been created in the face of spiralling energy costs and demand on foodbanks this winter is expected to be unprecedented. In these difficult times we have been compelled to do more than we have ever done before. Re-directing our marketing spend to help people directly was morally the right decision knowing the difference the money will make to those most in need in our community.
“We are working closely with the Community Foundations to ensure this is a donation not just for Christmas, but that will continue to make a difference right through the winter and in particular the tough first few months of the year when there is typically a fall in charitable giving.”
The east of England is a world leader in clean energy generation with figures recently released by GENERATE showing that 32% of UK homes are powered by clean energy from our region. Despite so much energy on our doorstep, it is estimated more than half (51%) of households in the east will be living in fuel poverty by January 2023, ramping up demand on warm hubs.
Jackie Pobjoy, business manager at Walton Community Centre, one of the facilities benefiting from the donation commented: “We will be offering food, warmth, practical support and so much more, all under one roof, creating an accessible space which anyone can use without fear of judgement. Running a warm hub has the potential to make a huge difference in our community, particularly in Walton where there are no other services like this. We are extremely grateful to the East of England Co-op for their financial support, which will directly benefit so many people locally who are having to make a tough choice between heating or eating. It is a hard time for everybody right now.”
Henry Wilson from Reach Haverhill foodbank commented: “As the nights draw in and it is getting colder, more families need help from our foodbank than at any other time in our 14-year history. We have already fed more children in 2022 than any other year and we still have 6 weeks to go. Therefore, the very generous donation of vouchers for food and heating is incredibly welcome. We value the dignity that vouchers afford people, giving them far more choice and empowering families who find themselves facing a financial crisis and hardship.”
In 2020 the East of England Co-op launched the Foodbank Donation Gift Card. The card can be purchased in store and then be given as a gift at Christmas with 100% of the £5 purchase price going to local foodbanks. The card contains a message of thanks for helping local people in crisis. East of England Co-op customers are being encouraged to support however they can either through donations at the till point, by purchasing the Foodbank Donation Gift Card for someone or donating groceries at collection points in store. Niall added: “We want to make it easy for our customers to give back to their community and ethical gifting is an excellent way to do that.”
The marketing budget re-direct ends a significant year of giving for the East of England Co-op, which donated more than £400,000 to local charities and good causes in 2022.
For more information visit www.eastofengland.coop.
Apply for support:
We are keen to hear from local charities and voluntary groups and are here to help with grants, where possible. Please contact us or fill in our short, online application form here.
New partnership with the Freemasons’ charity will support Ukrainian Refugees
24th November 2022
We are pleased to be working with the Freemasons’ charity (MCF), through UK Community Foundations, to support refugees from Ukraine.
The funding will be distributed to local organisations in Essex, supporting the integration of Ukrainian refugees into their local communities in one or more of the following ways:
- Preparing support for refugees arriving from Ukraine
- Funding the direct delivery of services for Ukrainian refugees
- Developing longer-term support for the integration of Ukrainian refugees
Along with nine other community foundations in the UK Community Foundations network, we are participating in the project because our region has welcomed Ukrainian refugees this year.
Rosemary Macdonald, CEO of UK Community Foundations, commented: “We are pleased to be able to distribute support to local organisations who are doing so much to welcome Ukrainians into their communities. It is the small, grassroots charities and groups that know their local areas who are best able to listen to new arrivals and help them find the resources and support that they need.”
Les Hutchinson, Chief Executive of the Freemasons’ charity, said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to provide substantial assistance to Ukrainians in need across the country. There has been an unprecedented wave of support for Ukrainians from the British public but there is a great deal more that needs to be done. These are people who have left everything behind in a country suffering the effects of a devastating war and I’m proud the help Freemasons have provided has now exceeded a million pounds.”
If you are a charitable organisation working in Essex to help Ukrainian refugees, please contact our grants team to discuss making an application. Call us on 01245 355947 or e-mail grants@essexcf.org.uk.