Financially struggling charities offered new lifeline as Saffron Community Fund grants open
14th November 2022
As the cost-of-living crisis impacts everyone, donations to charities are on the decline as people count their pennies to get through what is likely to be a difficult winter. The Saffron Community Fund is offering a lifeline to smaller local charities as it announces that applications open today to apply for a grant from the Saffron Building Society initiative.
The Fund is operated in partnership with Essex Community Foundation, who receive and manage all grant applications on behalf of Saffron Building Society.
Grants are open to charities, not-for-profits, community, and volunteer groups. Each application for a grant is assessed individually to ensure all funding is fairly distributed to charities during this difficult period.
Claire Hunnable, Saffron’s Community Business Partner, explains: “Our Fund is an essential source of funding for some of the smaller charities and community groups around our branches. We have developed a unique and important working relationship with Essex Community Foundation that ensure all grant decisions made by our panel are undertaken with expert guidance from them.
“Every year we are amazed by the diversity of the applications and are always delighted to be introduced to groups we may never normally have been aware of. I also have the pleasure of meeting the people behind the projects and to see the amazing work that is happening all around our communities.”
In 2021, Saffron Community Fund announced it had reached the milestone of £100,000 in grant funds in the ten years since the launch, spread out over yearly grant funds totaling up to £20,000 per year.
However, this is now going to be significantly increased by Saffron joining the Reclaim Fund Scheme. The government backed scheme allows monies that are unclaimed and currently held in dormant accounts to be used for social and environmental schemes. In 2022, Saffron was able to claim over £436,000 from the Reclaim Fund initiative which has been added to the endowment fund which will now be used to bolster the value of grants from 2023 onwards. 2023 will also be the first year that grants will be issued twice yearly, to ensure if a deadline is missed, the recipient doesn’t have to wait another year to apply.
Claire added, “We are pleased to say that applications for the Fund are officially open, and we are always keen to hear from new groups who may need our support. If you run a charity or group and are unsure if you qualify for a grant, all the information and links you need are all available on our community fund webpage, with a step-by-step guide on how to apply. But you must be quick!”
How to apply
The deadline to apply to this Fund has passed. If you are still in need of funding for your voluntary or community organisation, please contact the ECF grants team on 01245 355947 or e-mail grants@essexcf.org.uk.
Supporting refugees in Essex
27th October 2022
The war in Ukraine caused hundreds of people to flee their homes and settle in other countries, including the United Kingdom, and many have been welcomed into homes and communities in Essex.
Charities are providing support to help people adapt to their new environment and overcome language barriers. Social groups are also vital in providing a safe space where refugees can meet each other and get help with everyday tasks, such as shopping for food and necessities.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation, said: “It is impossible to fully understand the trauma that some of these people may have experienced and the upheaval the war has had on their lives.
“We are committed to supporting refugees in Essex and have funding available for local projects that are helping them to feel welcome and connected in their local community. “
Among the recent projects to be supported are:
- Voluntary Action Epping Forest received £6,730 to employ a part-time community hub responder to provide dedicated support to Ukrainian nationals in Epping Forest and Harlow.
- Hamelin Trust received £18,525 to increase the capacity of their community support and respite care teams, which work with Ukrainian families that have a disabled child.
- Colchester Mercury Theatre received £8,975 to run an intergenerational choir and host creative meetups to help support refugees, asylum seekers and migrants meet each other and express themselves.
- Welcome to the UK received £6,100 to develop a new community space and increase the number of English as a Second Language (ESOL) lessons on offer in Southend.
Andy added, “We have recently received a generous donation of £35,000 from the Freemason’s charity to support refugees in Essex, including projects helping those from Ukraine. I encourage groups in need of funding to contact us on 01245 355947 or email grants@essexcf.org.uk.”
To discuss how we could help you to support refugees in Essex, please get in touch with us.
Supporting the causes you are passionate about
26th October 2022
Each of us have our own passions and when you set up a fund with Essex Community Foundation you have the option of keeping your giving broad, to support a wide range of charitable work in the county, or to channel it towards what you care about most.
Ann and Anthony Bartleet were ahead of their time with their deep concerns for the natural environment and protecting our heritage for future generations – and this is what they choose to give to.
Their far-sighted interests and practical action for such causes, along with promoting musical events and activities, began several decades ago and continue to this day, through the Bartleet Family Fund they established with the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Historic churches, heritage and maritime centres, outreach programmes involving young people and opera workshops are among the projects that have benefited from grants totalling more than £200,000 distributed by ECF through their Fund.
“Essex is a very much underestimated county, but we have the most splendid buildings and wonderful countryside,” said Ann. “I believe that heritage, the environment and the countryside are hugely important to people’s wellbeing, which is why we always supported such causes, even when they were not as popular as they are now.”
She and Anthony brought up their three sons in Essex and had a family trust fund for many years to make annual charitable contributions. In 2017 they made the decision to transfer the management of the fund to ECF.
“This has proved to be very satisfactory, said Ann. “ECF give a very personal service, doing the groundwork and the administration for regular giving to both local and national charities. This allows me to respond to local requests for funding in the areas that I am especially interested in.
“Although the fund, quite rightly, concentrates on good causes that have direct community benefits, I like to think that by supporting environmental and cultural initiatives, I can remind everyone just how important the natural world, countryside and historic buildings and all sorts of cultural activities are to us all.”
At her home in Great Tey, Ann is surrounded by the glorious Essex countryside which she has cherished since she came from “over the border” in Hertfordshire to live in the county, at the start of her 45-year marriage to Anthony, a marine underwriter with Lloyds of London, who sadly died in 2019.
A passionate gardener, baker, crafter and true countrywoman, Ann says she feels fortunate that she has been able to give a lot of her time to the causes that have inspired her. More than two decades ago was made an MBE for preservation work protecting rural areas.
“For many years I was lucky enough to have been able to work as a trustee of environmental charities both nationally and locally, reflecting my interest in the historic built environment and in the natural world,” she said.
“I have been a trustee of the National Trust, vice chairman of CPRE as well as chairman of the local branch here in Essex. My husband set up a building preservation trust here in north-east Essex whose mission is to repair and find new uses for historic buildings in distress.
“As well as supporting national wildlife and nature conservation charities such as RSPB, Plantlife and the Woodland Trust, we have always contributed to Essex Wildlife Trust.”
Along with devotion to heritage and the countryside, Ann also has a lifelong love for music, having sung in choirs for 70 years, since she was a schoolgirl.
She said: “Music and the arts always played an important part in our lives, and we have been contributors to charities which support music in cathedrals. My husband was a trustee of a small opera company and we have been contributors to the Art Fund.”
Grants from the Bartleet Family Fund have helped to restore and repair bells and organs in several Essex churches and have also supported music festivals and choirs in the county.
Being involved in so many causes and organisations has given Ann a great insight into the power of harnessing people’s interests to ensure that everyone can benefit from healthy and sustainable surroundings.
“It is amazing what communities can do – and there is always plenty to do if you look out for it,” she says.
But Ann believes that the word community does not just relate to the people of the county. She feels it is also about preserving and restoring the important structures in our communities, so that people can appreciate their history and beauty now and in the future.
Although she says that advancing years mean restricting her activities to closer to home, Ann relishes her connections with the whole county. Her family fund is helping to fulfil the vision she and husband Anthony had to enhance the environment and help secure the precious heritage of Essex for future generations to enjoy.
A grant from the Bartleet Family Fund came to the rescue when members of Writtle Bowling Club feared that an historic grade two listed wall surrounding the club’s green could fall down.
The club, based in a conservation area in the picturesque village of Writtle, has sole responsibility for maintaining its boundary wall, parts of which date back to Tudor times.
Funding was desperately needed when investigations revealed that a section of the wall bordering the busy Lodge Road, needed extensive work to prevent possible collapse.
The club made an application to ECF for a grant and received £4,000 from the Bartleet Family Fund, as the project fitted perfectly with the fund’s aims.
Wendy Harvey from Writtle Bowling Club, who submitted the application on behalf of the club to ECF said: “We appreciate that we are in a conservation area with an historically important wall and take our heritage very seriously. But maintaining the wall is a huge burden and if we had to meet all the costs ourselves it would take us to rock bottom.
“We knew the wall wasn’t stable and it was a real worry that it might fall on to people walking by or on to cars in the road. I remember lying awake one night when we had some hefty storms, wondering if the wall was still going to be there in the morning!
“We are so very grateful for the grant from the Bartleet Family Fund towards the cost of repairs to the wall – it was a real lifesaver for us.”
If you would like to discuss your charitable goals and how ECF can help you to achieve them, click here or call us on 01245 355947.
Taxes on death – gifts to charity can help
21st October 2022
“In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes” Benjamin Franklin
It is often the case that whilst we accept death is a certainty for us all, the payment of tax upon death can cause considerable anxiety and is a major fear factor. However, understanding Inheritance Tax (IHT) and being aware that there are options to mitigate tax can allay the fear of the unknown. Leaving a gift to charity is one way to achieve this.
Lorna Bastian is a Private Client Partner at Aquabridge Law, based in Chelmsford. As a specialist in the field of Wills, Trusts and Probate Lorna advises clients in relation to their estate planning. We asked her to explain IHT “simply” and how leaving a gift to charity can be a helpful option.
“Partnering with clients to understand their personal circumstances and what is important to them usually leads to consideration of their inheritance tax (IHT) position,” says Laura.
“These discussions will often include gifts to charity, either during lifetime or as part of estate planning. Essex Community Foundation provides a potential solution for many of my clients which I am pleased to talk about. They may be interested in setting up a charitable fund in their name after they die or if they start giving during their lifetime, it can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience, while also mitigating tax.
“Let’s consider a couple – Max and Lisa – they are married and have had successful careers leading to retirement at 55. They have a property worth £700,000 which is mortgage free, and each have savings of £200,000. Their total estate is therefore worth £1,100,000.
Assuming they have made no gifts in the seven years before their death they would each have a nil rate band for Inheritance tax of £325,000. If Max dies first and leaves everything to Lisa in his will, then when Lisa dies, she would be able to claim the transferrable nil rate band because the estate was spouse exempt passing to her. Lisa’s estate would have two nil rate bands totalling £650,000 (her own and Max’s nil rate band) and they both want to leave their estate to nieces and nephews on second death.
How much would they have to pay in Inheritance tax?
£1,100,000 less £650,000 (at 0%) = £450,000 chargeable estate
£450,000 is subject to IHT at 40% therefore the IHT liability would be £180,000
So, with the above scenario, they arrive at the office of their professional advisor and ask what could they do to reduce the amount of Inheritance tax?
- They could plan to utilise their gifting allowances during lifetime. More information on this can be found at www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax/gifts.
- If they used their tax-free allowances, they could also elect to make lifetime gifts in excess of these allowances, known as Potentially Exempt Transfers (PETS). If you survive for seven years having made a bone fide PET this would reduce the value of the estate for IHT purposes.
- They could consider the structure of their wills and include legacies to charities which would be exempt from Inheritance tax. These can be registered charities or if they wished to establish their own foundation in their lifetime, they could do so with the help of Essex Community Foundation. Charities are exempt from IHT therefore any legacy to a registered charity would not be chargeable to IHT.
- If Max and Lisa wanted to structure their wills to include a charitable gift so that at least 10% of their net estate was passing to charities this would result in a reduction in the Inheritance Tax Rate. Rather than payment of tax at 40% this is reduced to 36% so the tax liability would be much less.
What you might not be aware of:
If Lisa and Max had not considered the position before they died, and the beneficiaries of their estate wanted to support charities, they would also have the option to enter into a Deed of Variation to include charitable legacies from their inheritance, and this again would have the result of reducing Inheritance tax if the Deed of Variation was signed within two years of the date of death.
If you are interested in making a gift to charity as part of your estate planning, please contact us on 01245 355947 or email perry@essexcf.org.uk to discuss your ideas and wishes. It is always advisable to talk to a financial adviser to ensure you are fully aware of the tax implications.
Retired greyhounds lend a helping paw
20th October 2022
Dogs are proving to be ‘man’s best friend’ in Uttlesford, as retired racing greyhounds are giving people who are lonely and isolated, a much-needed morale boost through human-animal bonding.
Leading these canine companions is Ace Hounds CIC, who applied to Essex Community Foundation (ECF), the independent charitable trust, for funding towards their core costs to allow them to reach more people in the area.
Thanks to a £5,000 grant awarded from the Diana Tinson Fund, which is managed by ECF, Ace Hounds has been able to re-start their popular visiting programme where they take the dogs to people in their homes or care homes.
The programme was heavily impact by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to pause.
Susan Phillips, who volunteers for Ace Hounds, said: “The use of animals, especially dogs, has been proven to be therapeutic for people who are lonely or anxious, and feedback from our services has shown that our clients are leaving sessions feeling happier and motivated from the increased physical activity and time spent with the greyhounds”.
“Using animal assisted activities, we help people with dementia, learning difficulties, mental health difficulties, and people facing personal barriers to gain self-confidence”.
She added, “We have seen an increased need locally as there are many people, of all ages, continuing to feel the effects of the long-term loneliness and anxiety they experienced during COVID-19 lockdowns.”
Ace Hounds’ Project Leader, Elaine Sheppard, said: “I have been rehoming greyhounds for years and cherish the friendship and joy they bring to my life. It is wonderful to see them helping other people at these sessions. We have also recently started working in schools to help young people”.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at ECF, said: “Uttlesford is a rural district, and this can mean that local people face higher levels of isolation and loneliness than those living in built up areas, so we are pleased to support this innovative solution”.
“We encourage other charities and voluntary groups working locally to please contact us if they are in need of funding.”
To apply for a grant to support your charitable work, complete this short online application form.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your organisations eligibility, please call our grants team on 01245 356018 or e-mail grants@essexcf.org.uk.
Water company puts Essex community funding up for grabs and makes a final call for applications
12th October 2022
Up to £2,000 of funding could be up for grabs for charities across Essex, thanks to a community initiative by Essex & Suffolk Water.
The water company’s Community Foundation Fund is making a last call for new project applications, as the deadline of the current round of funding on Monday 17 October 2022 rapidly approaches.
Since forming the long-standing partnership with Essex Community Foundation to deliver project grants in 2003, over 150 community projects have been supported by the fund and more than £134,000 donated to good causes.
Essex & Suffolk Water’s Partnerships Manager, Ross Smith, said: “A big part of our purpose is meeting the needs of our local communities and we’re really proud to work with Essex Community Foundation to help good causes.
“We support our communities in many ways – from gifting time and expertise through our employee volunteering programme, to donating cash and equipment to support a range of projects.
“We want to help as many deserving causes as possible through our partnership with Essex Community Foundation, so if you’re a local, registered charitable cause looking for support then we’d welcome an application from you.”
So far this year, grants have been awarded through the fund to Havering Volunteer Centre to support a volunteer recruitment campaign in Havering. Abigail’s Footsteps was also awarded crucial funds to provide specialist baby loss counselling sessions to bereaved parents referred from Southend University Hospital.
Andy Payne Worpole, Head of Programmes at Essex Community Foundation said, “Support for local communities has always been part of Essex & Suffolk Water’s ethos and we are pleased to partner with them to ensure that the funding they give makes a difference.
“Since they set up their community fund with us nearly 20 years ago, 152 grants totalling £135,000 have been awarded to voluntary and community organisations working in Essex & Suffolk Water’s supply areas. Grants have supported a wide range of projects contributing to the environment, health and wellbeing of local people, and community support initiatives.
“As the fund is invested, we award grants every year and we look forward to building on all that has been achieved so far, and supporting more local charities and voluntary groups that are in need of help.”
All applications for grants between £1,000 to £2,000 will be considered, however, the utility company will prioritise projects that set out to improve the health, education and environment of the community.
Fill out the short online application form here. The deadline for the current round of funding is Monday 17 October 2022.
Projects can also be supported by the company’s ‘Just an Hour’ employee volunteering programme to give causes a helping hand.
All applications will be carefully considered and successful bids chosen by the company’s volunteer panel.
Pictured: Little Heroes ASD Support Group received funding previously to enhance their safe play area at a support group for families with autistic children.