BCF Celebrates reaching £5Million Grants Target!

Berkshire Community Foundation celebrated having given over £5 million in grants since its formation 1985 at a special Grants Reception at the Swan at Streatley, courtesy of John Nike. It also marked the allocation of £189,757 in grants to 106 voluntary groups and 10 individual children over the last six months!

The Foundation, which is building a permanent fund for the voluntary sector, supports a wide range of groups that address needs at the grass roots of our local communities. To assist in that it is also launching “ring fenced funds” in each of Berkshire’s 6 unitary authority areas, so as to be able to focus even more locally.

In his welcoming remarks John Nike said, “I view the Community Foundation as an ideal complement to the Nike group’s charity programme. It really is a most effective method of delivering support to local charities. Recently I have been particularly pleased with the launch of the Bracknell Forest Community Fund, as an innovative means of increasing the flow of grants to our local community groups.”

At the Grants Reception 15 groups explained their role and what the Community Foundation’s grants had enabled them to do. Groups presenting included Reading Deaf Centre, Camp Mohawk, Newbury Family Counselling, Southcote IT Experience, Beansheaf Community Pre-School and the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire. Other groups supported included Hearts in Slough, East Berks Laryngectomee Club, Elizabeth House Cookham, Age Concern Bracknell, Home Start Wokingham, Reading Refugee Support, Berkshire Association of Clubs for Young People, Art Beyond Belief and West Berks Mencap.

At a recent dinner at Frogmore House Prince Philip had also added his voice in support of the Community Foundation’s challenge to raise an additional £2 million to support local causes.

After presenting plaque to John Nike in recognition of his generous support for the Foundation since 1994, The Lord Lieutenant, Mary Bayliss, summed up the evening. She commended the Foundation on its achievements and reminded people of the considerable need underlying the county. She stated that the evening had really demonstrated the value of the voluntary groups and stressed that they needed help in accessing funding to enable them to carry out their work, which was where the Foundation came in! Finally she urged all to encourage an ethos across the county of its being a “Community that helps itself”, through more “Local Giving for Local Need” via the Community Foundation.