Building skills for brighter futures
19th May 2021
One of our recently funded projects was featured in the Epping Forest Guardian. Read the article below.
A project offering training and mentoring to people with learning disabilities in making goods from recycled wood is continuing to flourish.
Purpose built-premises have been created for Voluntary Action Epping Forest’s Ace Activities Upcycling scheme in Stapleford Abbots, with vacancies for up to eight new trainees.
These additional opportunities for ACE Upcycling have come thanks to help from Riverside Timber Recycling project – which has built the especially adapted workshop – and a £10,000 grant from the Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Finished articles from the projects are sold at the VAEF ACE Upcycling stand at Riverside Timber Recycling Project, Chigwell Nursery and at various local fetes. All money raised goes back into the upcycling projects.
ACE Upcycling projects are open to working age adults with learning or physical disabilities and mental health issues. It offers training and mentoring in making goods from recycled timber, as well as restoring and upcycling furniture for sale to the public.
The projects are designed to boost participants’ confidence through providing focus, developing skills and encouraging discipline in a fun environment. Trainees also enjoy the companionship and collaboration of working with others.
Josh, who works at ACE Upcycling said: “I really enjoy learning how to make things at ACE Upcycling. I have made planters, benches, tables and much more. I like working with Tim who volunteers at the project, as well as seeing all my friends.”
For more information on vacancies available on the project or for furniture items for sale, visit the ACE project’s new website www.aceactivities.org.uk or contact Sally Panrucker on spanrucker@vaef.org.uk
To apply for a grant from ECF click here.
Why your business should consider giving back locally
A blog from Perry Norton, Head of Development at Essex Community Foundation – Republished from Fiducia Wealth Management.
The COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged individuals and companies alike to take a closer look at their local community and think about how they can make a difference.
Essex Community Foundation (ECF) offers an opportunity to understand local issues, consider how and where they want to make a difference, and if they want to have an impact over the long-term.
Established in 1996, ECF is an independent charitable trust with 25 years’ experience of managing charitable funds on behalf of individuals, companies, trusts and public agencies and supporting local charities and voluntary organisations with financial grants.
During the Coronavirus pandemic we have supported many projects where people have found different ways to help those in need, including collecting and delivering food parcels for neighbours, befriending phone calls to elderly people who needed to shield, volunteering in hospitals to give vaccines or provide comfort to patients, and even making a conscious effort to support their local shops and businesses to help keep them afloat.
Charitable giving is often portrayed by the media as only being possibly by the super wealthy. The generosity of people such as Bill Gates and Elon Musk who have donated billions through their own foundations to tackle issues including the environment and poverty on a global scale are widely known and publicised. While their generosity is amazing it can reinforce the perception that you need to be a millionaire to make a difference, and this simply is not the case.
We do not need to wait for an Essex Bill Gates to sort these issues out for us because we have the power to do it ourselves and starting local is a good place to begin making a difference.
Giving locally can have a huge impact on small, grassroots charities. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 voluntary and community organisations in Essex, many of which are volunteer-led and probably unknown to most people.
These organisations give vital support within their communities, but they may not have the same profile or access to resources that other, well-known, organisations have.
ECF works with individuals, families, businesses and other local organisations who all share our vision; to create a long-term sustainable financial resource that can support people in local communities forever.
We work with many companies who have incorporated a long-term approach into their CSR strategies and have set up charitable funds in the name of their business. We help them to build a greater understanding of local issues that are being tackled so they can focus their giving on issues that matter to them and their staff. They can also engage staff in fundraising challenges or introduce a payroll giving scheme to help increase the amount of support given.
We know that companies often receive letters from charities asking for support and it can be difficult to know which ones to support and where donations will have the most impact.
Working with ECF means you do not need to say ‘no’ to any requests received, you simply send them to us. We may be able to help them through your charitable fund or from one of the other 170 charitable funds that we manage. We can also direct them to other appropriate funders.
For more information about how you or your business could get involved, please contact me (Perry) on 01245 355947 or perry@essexcf.org.uk. You can read more on corporate giving through ECF here.
If we all work together just imagine how powerful the impact that our collective donations can make in Essex!
Beresfords supports the essentials in life
18th May 2021
Billericay Baby Basics is receiving a welcome funding boost from the Beresford Foundation for its work supporting mothers and families who are struggling to cope with the financial pressures of looking after a new baby.
The charity, which was only recently established, is already proving to be of huge benefit to local families. Based in the Revival Church in Billericay, Baby Basics also covers the Basildon and Wickford areas.
A grant of £800 will help them to buy essential items including shelving, storage boxes and bags as well as enabling them to produce leaflets and a banner to help publicise their work.
The Beresford Foundation was set up by the award-winning estate agents in 2015 and is managed by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF). Grants are awarded annually from their Foundation to support local charities and voluntary groups in the county.
Paul Beresford, chairman and managing director, said: “Being a business with over 50 years’ experience of working in Essex and London, we are committed to supporting charities and projects in the areas where we work.
“Many of our customers are families with young children who are trying to buy their first home or make the next step on the housing ladder.
“Billiericay Baby Basics really resonated with us. We have seen how the pandemic has put a financial strain on many families, especially those who have lost jobs or been furloughed. Having a new baby adds a whole extra layer of cost, so helping those who, for many reasons may find themselves struggling is something we are very pleased to support.”
Jane Robb, Team Leader at Billericay Baby Basics said, “We are delighted and grateful to receive this funding which has helped us to get properly set up and promote our services.
“It is thanks to support from local companies like Beresfords, who are working with ECF, that we are able to support families who are finding it difficult to cope. We help mums in all manner of circumstances, they can be young teenagers as well as women fleeing domestic abuse or trafficking.
“They are referred to us through different services and we are pleased to help them with the basics they need to keep their babies fed, clean and safe until they can get back on their feet. We know that the Baby Basics service will provide relief and help in the midst of the challenging circumstances that these mums and families are facing.”
Paul added, “We are very pleased to be working so effectively with the team at ECF. Establishing and growing a long-term charitable fund means that each year we will give support to causes we see as a priority and those that are making such a difference to people’s lives in the communities where we work.”
Find out more about ECF and how you can support your local community here.
To see if you are eligible to apply for a grant, complete our short questionnaire here.
Helping young people to be high-flyers
14th May 2021
Young people who have the potential to become the high-flying leaders of tomorrow are being given the chance to achieve their dreams, helped by grants given in memory of a fast jet pilot who tragically died aged just 25.
The grants are available through the Ajvir Singh Sandhu Leadership Foundation (ASSLF) which was established in 2017 and also awards grants through the independent charitable trust, Essex Community Foundation (ECF).
Ajvir lived in Essex and achieved his boyhood ambition, becoming an exceptionally talented trainee fast jet pilot in the RAF. In April 2016 he very sadly lost his life when the light aircraft that he was in crashed in North Yorkshire. His inspiring determination and his quest to help others lives on, as the grants given in his name will transform the future for many young people.
Ajvir’s father, Amrik Sandhu said: “We want to support the talented young people of today, helping them to become the leaders of tomorrow, allowing them to spread their wings and fly as high as Ajvir.
“Our mission is to work closely with Essex Community Foundation to identify local young people who have the drive and potential to be the best in their respective fields but may face challenges reaching their goals.
“We also encourage those who receive grants to become generous leaders who give something back to others, reflecting one of the core values which Ajvir lived his life by.”
ASSLF has already supported a young kickboxer who is part of Team GB and he has taken part in many world class competitions. His dream is to become World Champion and then compete in the Olympics.
The fund’s most long-standing project is a mentoring programme at Riverside School in Barking which helps high potential students to have the confidence and self‑belief to reach their academic goals. Another long-term relationship for ASSLF is with 241 Air Cadet Squadron in Woodford, Essex, where Ajvir’s interest in the RAF and love for flying began. Each year, the Fund awards a grant to the squadron to provide extra opportunities to the top performing cadets and those who most reflect Ajvir’s attitude and commitment to achievement.
ASSLF’s largest programme is a partnership with Warwick University Business School. The University identifies candidates who are not only extremely committed to their education but also display strong signs of entrepreneurial potential.
Caroline Taylor, chief executive of ECF said: “Ajvir’s focus and determination made him who he was and ECF is very pleased to be working with his family and the Foundation they set up in his memory.
“It is a tribute to Ajvir that grants are awarded to support talented young people in Essex, particularly those who excel in sport, music, academics and military disciplines.”
Details about the Ajvir Singh Sandhu Leadership Fund can also be found at www.ajvirlf.com.
If you are interested in supporting your local community and would like to talk about how giving through ECF can help, please get in touch with us 01245 355947 or email Perry@essexcf.org.uk.
If you know of a young person who you think could benefit from support, please ask them to get in touch. They can take an eligibility quiz here.
Continuing a family tradition of giving back
27th April 2021
Good fortune and adversity have both been part of life for Jo Pritchard-Barrett and have strengthened her resolve to help others.
Born into a family who once owned the Trebor company, Jo grew up in Ingatestone. When the family’s firm was sold, her father, Ian Marks CBE DL and his wife Angela, founders of Essex Community Foundation, set an inspiring example of how to be an innovative philanthropist.
Jo’s contrasting experiences of being the youngest daughter in a family with a privileged heritage and having her own struggles with cancer and two marriage breakups have given her great insight and an inbuilt empathy with people from all backgrounds.
She has an established charitable fund with Essex Community Foundation (ECF) to help tackle issues that she sees as crucial in society, but many find too difficult to confront.
Caroline Taylor, CEO of ECF said, “Our relationship with Jo is a great example of how we work with our fundholders to tackle issues that matter to them.
“It is a mutually beneficial experience; she has a deep interest in helping people who are so often overlooked or find it difficult to get the empathy and support they really need, and we know the charities and voluntary groups that are tackling these issues in their local communities and need funding to support their work.”
Recent grants have supported projects that are providing training for companies around domestic violence, supporting women working in the sex industry in Southend, supporting victims of rape and abuse and helping children whose parents have an alcohol or drug addiction.
“It is so important that people going through such traumas are given the right support and have some hope, particularly at this time when everything is being pushed to the boundaries,” said Jo.
“If people who have been through abuse and trauma can get the help they need they can move on to recovery and do really well.
“Much of my focus is on children, because I feel that the experiences they have in their early years are vital for their future development.”
Jo’s fund with ECF is called The White House Farm Charitable fund, named after her home in Suffolk. She still has a great affinity with Essex, which is why grants from her fund helps voluntary and community groups giving support to people in the county.
“My mother, Angela, and my father, Ian, who died in 2018, were amazing role models and is an ongoing inspiration to me,” said Jo, who has three children
“When my children were little, life was difficult, becoming a single mum after a divorce. Going through breast cancer and recently the end of another marriage has also been difficult, but I feel stronger and happier now.
“I am lucky to have my family around me, I keep on counting my blessings and more than ever, I want to give back as much as possible to make a difference to others.
“When I was in the beauty business and clients came for treatments they would open–up about their lives. It gave them someone to talk to and gave me a greater understanding of what people go through and some of the issues they were dealing with.
In 2015, Jo was part of a Domestic Abuse Project and a ground-breaking partnership between ECF, two Essex Hospitals and Basildon, Colchester and Tendring Women’s Refuges. The pilot scheme involved specialist Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) being placed in accident and emergency and maternity departments at Basildon and Colchester hospitals. They offered women immediate and ongoing support, and trained staff at the hospitals to recognise and deal with patients who had suffered domestic abuse.
ECF provided a grant and harnessed additional financial support from other sources, including the AIM Foundation, Fowler Smith and Jones Charitable Trusts and The Mulberry Trust towards the overall cost of the scheme. Jo was part of the committee that was set up to monitor progress of this project which is still in operation and is now delivered by Changing Pathways based in Basildon.
Jo said: “Across the UK, at least two women a week are killed by their partners which is shocking, so when ECF asked me if I wanted to be involved in the Domestic Abuse Project, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“It just seemed to be a common–sense approach to look more deeply into the causes, when a woman who has suffered unexplained or frequent injuries comes into hospital. Rather than just patching them up and sending them home they can be relieved of the suffering caused by a harmful relationship.”
Jo describes herself as a practical and hands-on person and she is optimistic about the future and how we can all re-assess our priorities.
“Having a fund with ECF is something I value very much. They can see what sort of person you are and can help you realise what is possible, linking up with your own interests and focussing on issues that are important to you.
“I am proud that my parents founded an organisation that is achieving so much and is keeping their wonderful philanthropic spirit alive.”
To find out how you can set up your own charitable fund, click here.
Helping people to navigate their futures
14th April 2021
Three Colchester-based charities that are helping people to navigate life’s challenges and open new horizons have received vital funding from the Mersea Homes Charitable Fund.
The organisations receiving support in this latest round of grants are Beacon House Ministries, Pioneer Sailing Trust and the 9th Colchester Scout Group.
The Mersea Homes Charitable Fund was set up by the property development firm in 2010 and is managed by the independent charitable trust Essex Community Foundation (ECF). Grants are awarded annually to support a wide range of projects and to date local charities and voluntary groups have benefitted from support totalling nearly £45,000.
Stuart Cock, managing director of Mersea Homes, said: “Being a local family run business we are committed to supporting charities and community projects close to home.
“Housing is our business, and we are committed to building quality homes that we are proud of and that people love to live in. Helping those who, for many reasons, find themselves without somewhere to live and want to rebuild their lives, is something we are pleased to support.”
Steve Brown is CEO of Beacon House Ministries who are receiving £4,000. He said, “Thanks to support from local companies like Mersea Homes who are working with ECF, we are able to find out the root cause of individual situations. Helping people to open up about their feelings is key to us providing the right services to help them break the cycle of homelessness and rebuild their lives.”
Stuart continued, “Living on Mersea Island, where a lot of community life is centered around sailing, we see first-hand the positive impact and benefits that water-based activities can have on lives, especially in young people.
“We are pleased to support two local charities that are using sailing as a way to break down barriers and increase their skills.
“The 9th Colchester Scout Group is receiving £1,904 to provide sailing opportunities for their members that will encourage them to challenge themselves, build their confidence and use the outdoors to improve their wellbeing.
“A further grant is given to The Pioneer Sailing Trust, based in Brightlingsea. They are receiving £1,893 to provide organised days on board the Pioneer sailing vessel for families from Colchester and Tendring districts, accompanied by their social worker.
Felicity Lees, from Pioneer Sailing Trust, said: “We are so grateful for this funding as it will enable us to take more families out this year. Being on the sailing vessel allows social workers time to interact with the families they are helping, build trust, encourage them to talk about their problems and work out what longer-term support they might need. It is wonderful that our sailing vessel Pioneer can be used for such positive work.”
Stuart added, “We are very pleased to be working so effectively with the team at ECF. Establishing and growing a long-term charitable fund with them fitted with our ethos of building lasting communities. It also means that each year, and forever, we will give support to causes we see as a priority and those that are making such a difference to people’s lives in the area where we work.”
To apply for funding, click here.
To read how you can support your local community, click here.