Between 19 and 23 June, the UK will celebrate and raise awareness of the essential work of the third sector during Small Charities Week.
Over the last twenty one year’s Kent Community Foundation has awarded almost £60 million to small charities and community groups across the county.
Last year, Kent Community Foundation awarded just over £4.5 million to over 700 small charities and community groups across Kent and Medway, and with their unrivalled knowledge of local causes managed more than ninety philanthropic funds for individuals families, and businesses, who are motivated to help good causes.
Kent Community Foundation is committed to improving the lives of local people and communities, particularly the most vulnerable, isolated, and disadvantaged by matching those who want to help, with those who need the help. They use their extensive experience to award grants to small organisations offering services that align with thier five funding priorities: ‘children, young people and families’, ‘elderly and isolated adults’, ‘vulnerable adults’, the ‘environment’ and ‘employability, skills and enterprise’.
Josephine McCartney Chief Executive, Kent Community Foundation said, “It has been a very challenging time for charities and we are so very grateful to our generous Fund Holders for making a difference to the lives of people, families, children and young people across the county. We are always amazed at the resilience of the organisations we support and are delighted that during small charities week we can celebrate their crucial work.”
One group which recently received a first grant from Kent Community Foundation was AWOC (Ageing Without Children) East Kent which was formed in 2022. Penny Shepherd from their Steering Committee said, “As a start-up we are delighted to have received support from the John Hobson Trust, administered by Kent Community Foundation. The grant from Kent Community Foundation was a huge boost to our ability to have an impact and enabled us to move from operating with no money for essential resources to being able to get key materials including banners, posters, leaflets and a Zoom licence so that we can hold online meetings for longer than an hour.”
Josephine McCartney continued “We have been supporting some community groups for over twenty years but it is reassuring to note that each year we receive applications from recently formed groups. We know that for the charities we support, the smallest of grants can make a really huge difference and we were thrilled to receive such positive feedback from AWOC East Kent, about how important our funding can be.”
To contact Kent Community Foundation about funding for charities and community groups call 01303 814500, email admin@kentcf.org.uk or visit www.kentcf.org.uk/funding
About Small Charities Week
Small Charity Week celebrates and raises awareness of the essential work of the UK’s small charity sector who make an invaluable contribution to the lives of millions of individuals, communities and causes across the UK and the rest of the world.
Small Charities Week will be held between 19 -23 June 2023.
About AWOC East Kent
Founded in 2022, AWOC East Kent provides peer support to those ageing without children in Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe and Thanet.
About Kent Community Foundation
Grant-maker Kent Community Foundation has been finding, funding, and supporting some of the smallest voluntary organisations in the county for over twenty one years. In this time, it has distributed almost £60 million to support thousands of small charities and deserving causes where a modest sum of money can make a significant impact.
They are part of a UK wide accredited network of forty-seven Community Foundations who are committed to improving the lives of local people and communities, particularly the most vulnerable, isolated, and disadvantaged by matching those who want to help, with those who need the help.
Responsible for more than ninety philanthropic funds, Kent Community Foundation is unrivalled in its knowledge of local causes and assists individuals, families, and businesses, who want to help, to establish and administer their own charitable funds.
