Ringtons Fund Goes from Strength to Strength
Colin Smith from Ringtons visits Riding for the Disabled (Morpeth Branch)
Five groups from Tyne & Wear and Northumberland have benefited from over £18,000 in grants thanks to the Ringtons Fund which was established at the Community Foundation in 1995.
Scotswood Natural Community Garden, Blue Watch Youth Centre, Gateway into the Community, Riding for the Disabled Association (Morpeth) and Castle Morpeth Disability Association were all awarded grants ranging from £1,000 to more than £5,000.
Colin Smith from Ringtons recently visited two of the projects. He said:
“The Ringtons Fund at the Community Foundation has been established for over 15 years now and is going from strength to strength. It’s great to get out of the office and see the difference that the money is making to the community and voluntary groups on our doorstep. The groups I have visited today are so passionate about what they do that we were delighted to be able to help.”
Sam Orde, Chair of Riding for the Disabled (Morpeth Branch) added:
“Our disabled riders at the Pegasus Centre get so much enjoyment and therapy as well as a real sense of achievement. We were delighted to get financial support from the Ringtons Fund to buy properly fitted saddles for our hard working ponies and other specialist tack to make sure that our disabled children and adults get the most from their sessions.”
The Ringtons Fund is currently looking for applications from community and voluntary groups for grants of up to £5,000 for capital items, project or activity costs from groups supporting women, older people, families, those living in poverty and those with disabilities in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland.
For more information or to apply online click here.
Giving Green Paper Response
The Community Foundation has published a formal response to the Government’s “Giving” Green Paper which was published in January 2011.
The response welcomes the Government’s decision to seek views on the development of a giving culture, expressing the hope that it will maintain dialogue with the philanthropy sector as its programme of action develops. However it warns that Government attempts to encourage volunteering and charitable giving could falter as a result of disruption to the funding of community and voluntary groups.
A range of ways in which community foundations can enable local communities to benefit from gifts of time and money are also set out in the response, with particular mention of approaches pioneered here in the North East. For example there is some discussion of how our Community Ventures model might support the delivery of the new “Every Business Commits” agenda.
Finally the Community Foundation has counselled against plans to impose a minimum pay out requirement for charitable foundations, on the basis that this would undermine the independence of trustees and the regulatory role of the Charity Commission.
To download the full response click here or to find out more information email Mark Pierce.
More Time for Red Nose Day Cash
Red Nose Day Community Cash has extended its deadline to 18 March
The Red Nose Day Community Cash programme has extended its deadline to 18 March giving community and voluntary groups more time to get their applications in for grants of up to £1,000.
Groups must be run by local people and have an annual turnover of less than £50,000. For more information and to apply online click here.
Last Chance for Lunch
Caroline Theobald will this year be hosting an ‘in conversation piece’ with Helen McArdle and Susan Bickerton
It’s your last chance to buy tickets for this year’s International Women’s Day Networking Lunch kindly supported by Deloitte. The event is on Friday 11 March from 12.00pm at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead with tickets priced at £35 per head or £350 for a table.
The lunch, in aid of the Women’s Fund at the Community Foundation, has been a roaring success for the last three years. You are telling us it’s a great opportunity to network and meet with clients. With more and more people attending we fully expect to beat the amount raised for the Women’s Fund last year – an impressive £3,000.
For more information or to book your place email Whitney Punchak or call 0191 222 0945.
Calls for Applications
The Ted Weekes Fund is looking for applications from community and voluntary groups that support children and young people in New Hartley and Seaton Sluice. Grants from £250 to £2,000 are available and the deadline for applications is 15 April. For more information click here or email Su Legg
The Gateshead Housing Company Fund is also looking for applications up to £5,000 to help groups provide new services or expand or maintain existing services, such as intergenerational work, environmental improvements or community events. In addition the fund can now help organisations grow by supporting the organisational development costs as distinct from the cost of services. All applications must show how the grant will benefit Gateshead Housing Company tenants and the deadline is 15 April. For more information or to apply online click here.
Job Vacancy
A new post of MEA Trust Director has arisen at Mea House, Newcastle. For full information and to download an application form click here. The closing date for applicants is 3.00pm on Wednesday 16 March.