Record number of applications received for this year’s Greenham Trust Pitch to the Panel event
Newbury, UK, 04 April 2019 – Six local charitable organisations are one step closer to receiving up to £100,000 as their applications are shortlisted for this year’s well-respected Pitch to the Panel event. The winner(s) will be announced during an evening of entertainment on 8 May 2019, with live music from vocalist Nicole Johnson.
With a record 22 applicants this year, the six finalists will now have the opportunity to pitch their ground-breaking projects to a live audience and panel of judges, in a bid to secure a transforming amount of funding granted by Greenham Trust.
Hoping to extend the contract of its Community Outreach Worker and lease a new minibus, Age Concern Newbury & District (Fair Close Centre) is looking for £112,151. The minibus will increase the number of people they collect and drop home each day, enabling isolated people to be reached.
Josie Reed, chair of Age Concern Newbury and District explains, “The timing was perfect, we had just decided to ‘extend our reach’ and start fundraising to acquire a new minibus and increase our networking capabilities, when along comes Pitch to the Panel. We are thrilled to have been shortlisted, it is a real boost to morale.”
Breakthrough Learning is seeking £142,654 to pay for the rental of a building, allowing staff to have 1:1 intervention with larger numbers of children with special needs, parents and school staff. The funding will also help to run training sessions to equip children and their support networks with effective learning strategies. By empowering them with the skills to live more independently, they are able to take control of their emotions and behaviours.
Vanessa Nichols, Co-founder of Breakthrough Learning said, “We are really excited to have been selected to participate in this event. It’s a great opportunity to showcase how our work is changing the lives of so many children, parents, carers, therapists and teachers. A donation from the Greenham Trust would enable us to accelerate and expand our services. Pitch to the Panel is an inspiring event and we’re looking forward to seeing local residents, fellow charity workers, local businesses and of course, the Dragons!”
Friends of Castle School is requesting £56,742 to build an all-weather outdoor sports track for children with complex learning difficulties. The track will provide a safe space for children to learn new skills and increase their fitness and wellbeing.
West Berkshire League of Friends is pitching for £57,853 for a new portable liver scanner for the Community Hospital. The Fibro scanner uses transient elastography which allows assessment of patients who are at risk of liver cirrhosis.
“Pitch the Panel offers us the unique opportunity to access substantial funds that would take us a very long time to fundraise ourselves. If successful, we will be able to buy an urgently needed liver scanning machine much sooner, benefitting the local community and possibly saving lives,” said Stuart Stephens from West Berkshire League of Friends.
Also pitching are West Berkshire’s Domestic Abuse Service, requiring £39,413 to implement a helpline access service located in West Berkshire. The helpline will enable more victims to be reached and will provide access to specialist support.
Home-Start West Berkshire requires £133,571 for its Resilient Families incentive that supports families at risk of the early stages of inattention and neglect. Support staff will help to seek out families and children whose needs have previously been overlooked.
Grace Ryder, scheme manager at Home-Start said, “Resilient Families has developed as we have recognised how difficult it can be for families with complex lifestyles to meet the needs of their children. We understand that without assistance family difficulties can become harder to reverse. Providing support earlier is so important as it prevents issues arising as children grow and develop. We hope our project will offer innovative ways to identify issues, support families and provide learning for Home-Starts across the country. We are hugely excited about being shortlisted for Pitch to Panel and the possibility that our project could get off to a flying start thanks to such a supportive local funder.”
Members of the public will be given the power to vote online for their favourite project between 4 April and 6 May 2019, before supporters come together at the Corn Exchange, Newbury to find out whether the funds will be distributed across the six projects or one winner takes it all.
Deciding who gets the funding is this year’s panel of judges, Roland Gardner, chief executive, Newbury Building Society; Dr Abid Irfan, Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group chair and locality lead (Newbury and District); Gerry Lejeune, chief executive, Berkshire Community Foundation and Jayne Woodley, chief executive, Oxfordshire Community Foundation.
Chris Boulton, chief executive for Greenham Trust said: “Pitch to the Panel gives the public the opportunity to participate in helping a local good cause achieve its goals and aspirations for helping others. The event is a perfect way for businesses, charities and the community to come together to acknowledge and appreciate the amazing projects achieved in our area.
“We urge everyone to get involved and vote online for their favourite project. It is a fantastic moment when the winners are announced and it’s even better knowing that you helped to make it happen.”
To celebrate and support the remarkable work carried out by local good causes, reserve your free ticket online at www.pitchtothepanel.com/y2019 or visit The Corn Exchange box office. Alternatively, you can call 0845 5218 218.
