Greenham Trust is once again inviting local charitable organisations from West Berkshire and north Hampshire to bid for up to £100,000 in a Dragons’ Den style competition. Charities who are seeking between £30,000 and £100,000 are invited to apply for funding before Thursday 9 April 2020.
Greenham Trust’s Pitch to the Panel event returns to the stage at Newbury Corn Exchange on Wednesday 10 June. Free to attend, this is a great opportunity for people to support their local community and learn more about the inspiring work carried out by local good causes.
Chris Boulton, Chief Executive of Greenham Trust said “ We are thrilled to provide local charities with an opportunity to raise their profiles and showcase the good work they do. Last year’s event saw the £100,000 shared between 3 charities and already this funding is having an impact on the lives of people within West Berkshire”.
The three successful charities in 2019 were – West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends who were awarded £40,000 towards a portable liver scanner, Friends of Castle School who received £30,000 towards an all-weather outdoor sports track and Fair Close Day Centre who were granted £30,000 towards the lease of a new minibus and its running costs.
Stuart Stephens, Chair of West Berkshire Community Hospital League of Friends said “Greenham Trust has helped us to raise the profile of our charity and reach new audiences via social media. Through Pitch to The Panel it offers a unique opportunity to access substantial funds that would otherwise take a very long time to fundraise independently. We have now bought an urgently needed liver scanning machine, benefitting the local community and saving lives.”
For details on how to apply for funding through Pitch to the Panel and to download full terms and conditions, please visit www.pitchtothepanel.com/?id=funding or ring Greenham Trust on 01635 736740.
Only one application can be made per organisation and applicants must apply via the online fundraising platform The Good Exchange. The six shortlisted projects will be announced on 7 May 2020 when the public can vote online for their favourite project. Each vote registered will release an additional £1 donation from Greenham Trust. Voting is limited to one vote per person. On-line voting will be open from Thursday 7 May to Monday 8 June 2020 inclusive.
The successful applicants will pitch their ground-breaking ideas at the Pitch to the Panel event in front of a live audience to a panel of judges who will decide whether the funds are distributed across a maximum of six projects or one winner takes it all. The panellists this year are:
Phillippa Cardno, Operations Director, Newbury Building Society
Cllr Lynne Doherty, Leader of West Berkshire Council
Dr Abid Irfan, BW CCG Clinical Chair
Gerry Lejeune, Chief Executive, Berkshire Community Foundation
Andy Murrill, Editor, Newbury Weekly News.
Also part of this year’s event is the golden ticket. Every audience member at the event will be entered into a prize draw to win the golden ticket. The lucky winner, who will be drawn at the end of the evening, will be invited to nominate either a single project or a number of projects on The Good Exchange, within Greenham Trust’s area of operation, to receive grants of up to £5000 from Greenham Trust. The winner must be present to claim the award.
Tickets to attend the Pitch to the Panel event are free of charge and can be reserved online or are available from The Corn Exchange box office. Alternatively, you can call 0845 5218 218.
