Greenham Trust supports those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic to the tune of over £800,000
Greenham Trust supports those most in need during the COVID-19 pandemic to the tune of over £800,000
Hundreds of charitable projects have received funding through the Coronavirus Appeal Fund, Laptops for Learning and Surviving to Thriving initiatives to date.
Since the Coronavirus crisis began just under eighteen months ago, Greenham Trust has backed hundreds of charitable organisations in their efforts to support some of the worst affected by the pandemic, including the elderly, young people and those in financial distress and/or suffering from mental health conditions in West Berkshire and north Hampshire. Greenham Trust’s key appeals during this period and some of the beneficiaries of its funding, include the following:
• Coronavirus Relief Fund: Greenham Trust can today announce that its emergency appeal, created in March 2020, has granted 104 charitable projects a total of £410,356, with further projects under consideration. The fund continues to reach charities and volunteer organisations supporting those more urgently in need, including helping elderly or vulnerable people with chronic underlying health conditions, providing additional support for food banks and providing financial and mental health support for those in crisis. Charitable organisations to have received funding to date include the Fair Close Centre (Age UK), which received funding for the continuation and expansion of its Meals on Wheels Service, Get Berkshire Active, which received support for its Fit & Fed camps for disadvantaged children in West Berkshire during the school holidays and Newbury Soup Kitchen, which used the funds to help cover food and fuel costs.
• Laptops for Learning: Greenham Trust has supported 36 schools and charitable organisations through the fund to date, totalling £246,220, which has enabled local primary and secondary schools to receive 1,202 laptops to loan to children in need during the various lockdowns. Remote learning and online access have improved during school closures as a direct result, and as schools have re-opened, the fund is continuing to support schools lacking access to the equipment required during ‘bubble’ closures, while also supporting their longer-term IT needs. Beneficiaries include John O’Gaunt School PSA, which received 65 laptops for disadvantaged students, Fir Tree School, St Marks School Association and John Rankin Schools Federation in Newbury.
• Surviving to Thriving: A joint initiative with West Berkshire Council, this fund is aimed at all not-for-profit organisations in West Berkshire that provide support to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing. The fund has provided financial help to 19 such organisations to date, totalling £156,166, with further applications under consideration. Beneficiaries include Dingley’s Promise, to offer one-to-one support for families with children with disabilities, Newbury Family Counselling Service, which works with struggling families, and No5 Young People, an organisation offering counselling sessions for young people on the eastern side of West Berkshire.
Sally Bott of The Corn Exchange said: “Lockdown in March 2020 meant we had to suspend our summer programme of classes and courses. The £1,000 grant from the Greenham Trust’s Coronavirus Emergency Fund allowed us to deliver three online or digital Memory Café Live sessions and to deliver six distributions of Isolation Goody Bags to blind and partially sighted members of our Touch to See group.”
“It’s been very inspiring to see how local charitable organisations and individuals rallied during the pandemic to bring help to those most in need in our local communities,” said Chris Boulton, CEO Greenham Trust. “We’re thrilled to see so many good causes reap the benefits of this funding, particularly those focused on supporting the most vulnerable, from the very young to the elderly, and those living in poverty, and those with disabilities for whom the impact of the pandemic has been exacerbated. As we begin the long journey to recovery, charitable organisations will continue to provide a lifeline for those in need. We urge any charitable groups and volunteers in need of funding who meet
the criteria for these three funds to apply for support today.”
Nearly £1.17m has been raised for the Coronavirus linked appeals since March 2020, with 54% of this from Greenham Trust and 46% from other funders and public donors joining with us to support our appeals. We continue to disburse available funds to suitable applications received via our online grant and crowdfunding platform, The Good Exchange. Greenham Trust encourages any local community or charitable organisations to make a grant application via the platform.
About Greenham Trust
Greenham Trust is an innovative charitable trust that gives grant funding and support to charitable, community and voluntary organisations in West Berkshire and north Hampshire. The Trust uses its investment in Greenham Business Park and other property assets to generate surplus income. Charitable organisations apply for grants and fundraise via The Good Exchange, the Trust’s online crowdfunding platform for fundraisers and funders.
https://greenhamtrust.com
About The Good Exchange
The Good Exchange is a not-for-profit fundraising platform that makes it easy for charitable organisations to raise money through Greenham Trust, grants from other funders, and donations from the general public. As the only platform to bring together grant-making, donations, charitable projects and fundraising in one place, the automated matching system with its simple single online application form has revolutionised charitable giving in its local area, making it more accessible, transparent and collaborative.
https://thegoodexchange.com
Media contacts for Greenham Trust/The Good Exchange
Ella Pryor/Charlotte Martin
Finn Partners
GreenhamTrust@finnpartners.com Find out more on Greenham Trust’s website here.