Fundraising news, views, client stories and more

Cambridge Cyrenians

Posted on 24 January 2018

Founded in 1970 Cambridge Cyrenians now provides a range of accommodation, support and specialist services for homeless people. Cambridge Cyrenians provide accommodation for 68 single homeless men and women.

Set up with the aim of offering a real alternative to traditional homeless hostels, Cambridge Cyrenians offers small shared houses where residents are encouraged to take responsibility for their own lives, so as not to take away their ability to have constructive influence over their surroundings. An important feature of their houses is the input residents have in the decisions affecting their house. Many people need groups to which they belong, to which they can contribute and in which they can develop, so the emphasis is on sharing of chores and responsibilities.

Charity Fundraising Ltd has been providing fundraising support to Cambridge Cyrenians since July 2014 and we have undertaken grant funder research, bid writing and tender writing. Our Fundraising Consultants have helped Cambridge Cyrenians achieve £538,530 in grant and contract funding from a range of Grant Making Trusts and Foundations and Statutory Sources including Lloyds Bank Foundation, Henry Smith Charity, Tudor Trust and Cambridgeshire County Council.

“Charity Fundraising assisted Cambridge Cyrenians in raising significant sums to enable us to maintain or expand some of our existing services, culminating in a recent tender for over £380,000, which we certainly couldn’t have done on our own. We look forward to working with the team at Charity Fundraising in the future and would happily recommend their services to others.”  – Brian Holman, Manager

North Tyneside Girl Guides

Posted on 06 November 2015

Fundraising Consultants at Charity Fundraising Ltd supported North Tyneside Girl Guides in achieving £133,500 in grant funding towards their new residential outdoor centre – ‘Cheviot View’. We provided services including work by a funding bid writer and reviewing bids, as well as grant fundraising research. The new facility will be open to Girl Guides and Scouts, as well as other groups. Many of the children and young people using the facility will be from inner city areas and this site will enable them to engage in outdoor activities in a rural setting.

The chair of Girlguiding North Tyneside Trustees, Vivienne Barke, said: “Cheviot View will provide a fantastic outdoor facility for our guides in a wonderful rural location within the Northumberland National Park.

Lodge Hill Centre

Posted on 06 November 2015

Lodge Hill is an outdoor education centre, nestled in the heart of the South Downs National Park, for schools, youth groups & adults, with overnight accommodation, campsite, outdoor activities, Eco lodges and a range of conference facilities. They specialise in personal development and team-building skills in a challenging and safe environment away from the distractions of everyday life.

Fundraising Consultants at Charity Fundraising Ltd supported Lodge Hill Centre with their revenue (including salaries) and capital fundraising and helped them to secure £145,190 from a range of grant making trusts and foundations including Monument Trust, Blagrave Trust Fund, Charles Hayward Foundation, Baily Thomas Charitable Fund and Garfield Weston Foundation. The grant fundraising has enabled Lodge Hill Centre to carry out refurbishment work, run the Lodge Hill Challenge Project and run Fun Days for those with Autism and other disabilities.

Derbyshire Districts CAB

Posted on 06 November 2015

Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information on a wide range of subjects including debt advice, benefits advice, housing and employment matters, consumer or tax issues, legal matters and immigration issues.

Charity Fundraising consultants supported Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau by undertaking a Fundraising Strategy and also by  providing support in relation to project design, development and bid review of a Big Lottery Fund – Advice Services Transition Fund. We were extremely pleased that the Big Lottery Fund application was successful and  a grant of £342,000 was awarded. The funding is intended to build capacity and improve advice service outcomes throughout the Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales, Erewash and High Peak Districts and will make a huge difference to the significant numbers of people living in those areas who need advice and information in order to deal with the effects of welfare reforms.

Emma Haggar, Chief Executive of Derbyshire Districts Citizens Advice Bureau said: “Having an external view really helps in ensuring you communicate clearly to funders your concept , Steph is able to challenge robustly but in a supportive and constructive manner – we are already looking together at our next project”

Slough YMCA

Posted on 14 May 2015

Slough YMCA provides supported accommodation for homeless young people between the ages of 18 and 30 with the aim of helping them through their toughest times, which will hopefully lead them to independent living.  Through their community hub project, The Hangout, Slough YMCA try to foster a greater sense of community cohesion by bringing members of the local community together in one venue regardless of their race, colour, sex or background.

The YMCA is also the largest voluntary provider of community based sports, fitness and physical activity programmes, which form part of an all-round approach to healthy living and personal and social development that is unique to the YMCA.

Fundraising consulting firm Charity Fundraising Ltd, wrote a successful funding application to the Big Lottery Reaching Communities initiative, resulting in a grant of £248,289. We have also achieved £60,000 from BBC Children in Need and worked on a range of other funding bids. To date, the total raised for Slough YMCA is £379,789.

“Slough YMCA are happy to recommend Charity Fundraising Ltd. We hope to work closely with them in the coming years to look for further funding and assistance with tendering.” Colin Young, Chief Executive

Village Hall Barham

Posted on 05 December 2014

We began working with the Committee of Village Hall, Barham, Kent in early 2013. They were seeking to raise substantial funds to redevelop their community building, having tried unsuccessfully to make an application to the Big Lottery Fund, they turned to our fundraising experts for help. Steph Prentis acted as lead Senior Consultant for Charity Fundraising Ltd.

The scope of the project included;-

  • Side extension to enable the kitchen to become an integral part of the main hall
  • Front extension to enhance the visual appearance and create drop in facilities
  • Shop extension to expand the retail space and safeguard its long-term future
  • Conference room to provide a meeting facility for local groups/external services

Over the course of the year, we provided a range of guidance and support to Village Hall Barham, support which covered the following areas:

  • Community consultation – we developed the questionnaires and provided guidance on running the consultation;
  • Developing the Stage Two bid – we worked with the client to develop the Stage Two application;
  • Developing the Stage Three application – we supported the client in developing their business plan and other associated documents;
  • Fundraising mentoring and guidance – we acted as a fundraising mentor to the client on an on-going and ad-hoc basis

This work was very successful. The Big Lottery Fund awarded Village Hall Barham a total of £580,000 to pay for the development of a new community building designed and equipped to provide much needed services for local people living in a rural area in Kent.

“Steph has been absolutely brilliant, she explained everything and steered us through the whole process and made it work for us. The work of the team at Charity Fundraising Ltd exceeded our expectations, we could not have done it without you.” Simon Cavalier, Barham Village Hall

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