10 September 2007
More than £250,000 cash raised for voluntary groups
Community First East Hampshire, a charity which supports community and voluntary groups in the district, is celebrating after voluntary and community groups in East Hampshire have told them they have raised a staggering total of £258,000 as a result of information and support given through Community First’s Funding Information Service.
“Community groups such as youth clubs, church groups, village halls and older people’s lunch clubs are all eligible to ask us for help with finding funding,“ said Claire Coxwell, Development Manager at Community First, who co-ordinates the popular service.
Monthly funding bulletins are sent by e-mail. Books on fundraising can be borrowed from Community First’s Resources Centre based in Petersfield. “We can work with members of a group on a one to one basis too,” explains Claire. “We can give help with all aspects of funding – understanding the jargon, helping groups to use IT packages that can identify potential sources of funding and even making constructive comments about funding applications that groups have already written”.
Community First also stages workshops about specific funding sources and encourages fundraising networking meetings where groups can talk to each other about their successes and failures with raising money.
"The information in Community First's e-News and Funding Newsletters has resulted in Headley Down Community Association identifying a whole range of funding sources to support projects at Woodlands Hall," said Janet Easton, Manager of Woodlands Hall Community Centre in Headley Down. "Over the last year we have raised £51,000. The funding information service continues to be a really useful resource for us."