Emergency calls
Back in 2001, Cumbria was severely affected by the foot and mouth epidemic, with nearly 900 reported cases and over a million animals slaughtered. It spelt disaster and loss of livelihood for many: businesses, farms, other organisations and individuals. As the only charitable trust dedicated to Cumbria, it became clear that the foundation could help - even though significant sums were needed and the foundation was new. Within a short time the foundation had mustered a team of volunteers and supporters, distributed thousands of appeal leaflets and held a host of community fundraising initiatives. It succeeded in raising over �2.1 million for the recovery fund, nearly double its target. This sum has now been distributed in grants to those affected by the outbreak.

Further south, The Craven Trust in the North Yorkshire dales, which also suffered in the epidemic, succeeded in raising over �1 million for its appeal, working on a shoe string budget with a team of volunteers.
Cumbria Community Foundation

Enhancing the quality of life of pensioners
In Tyne & Wear, the community foundation administers the �8 million Kellett Fund to improve the lives of the old and infirm. All sorts of projects are supported, ranging from purchase of art material through to renovation of buildings for easier use by disabled people. The Kellett Fund is operated in the name of the donor family, a local couple who left a significant legacy to the Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland for this purpose.
Community Foundation serving Tyne & Wear and Northumberland

A legacy to the people of Bristol
The late Florence Lilian Denning, a long-standing Bristol resident left a gift of over �54,000 to the Greater Bristol Foundation. When Mrs Denning died in 1999, she left no children and her husband died soon after. The Florence Denning endowment fund was established within the community foundation in her memory. The fund is invested and the proceeds used to make grants to help elderly people in the Bristol area, in accordance with Mrs Denning�s wishes. The first grant from the fund was to help with costs of transporting elderly people to a weekly lunch club. Very few of the users would be able to get there under their own steam and rely on the coach paid for by the fund. One user said, �The coach is a godsend as I get out of breath very quickly and would be housebound.�
Greater Bristol Foundation (covers Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset)

Supporting the Heroes
The Heroes - now an established band - was originally formed to provide the simple experience of a day in a professional recording studio for people with disabilities. This was made possible with support from the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester. Few could have seen how this would escalate. They won world-wide attention with their first single, Heroes, covering the David Bowie classic, and have gone on to produce two albums.
Community Foundation for Greater Manchester

Consulting the carers
A consultation event for young carers funded by Devon Community Foundation revealed how their caring responsibilities affect their education and their physical and mental health and helped plan support for this overlooked group of young people. 'Finding out just what is going on in the lives of the more disadvantaged groups in our communities is a springboard for providing the right help and support and is an important part of the community foundation's work.'
Devon Community Foundation

Women supporting women
Members of Business Women West, a Bristol-based club for professional, executive and self-employed women set up an endowment fund at the Greater Bristol Foundation to help disadvantaged women and their communities. �We set up our fund to help women in need. The foundation enables us to reach deserving causes that would be difficult to find out about on our own,� says Helen Wilde, President, Business Women West.

Their first grant went to Hartcliffe Tackles Drugs, a voluntary group run by mothers whose own sons and daughters had experienced drug problems. These women understand the sense of isolation when a family member becomes a drug addict and are offering support to others in similar circumstances. Founder member Sue Frankcom explains, �We have helped each other and want to help those in our community who are desperate for help but don�t know where to find it.� The two groups met recently to hear how the grant is changing the lives of local people.
Greater Bristol Foundation (covers Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset)

You want it � you got it!
The �100,000 �You want it � you got it! � fund run by the Community Foundation for Greater Manchester together with the Co-operative Bank helps young people set up new projects to improve the quality of their lives, together with team building and personal development skills training. This unique fund offers grants directly to young people as well as to youth groups. It is aimed especially at talented and creative youngsters with bright ideas who feel alienated from the system and neglected at local levels. Nick Massey, Chief Executive of the foundation said the initiative demonstrates how effective a community involvement programme could be. �By providing training alongside funding we are empowering young people, giving them a sense of responsibility and positive support to make a real success of their projects.�

Millennium spirit lives on
A hundred and forty individuals have received support and training to help implement their bright ideas for breathing new life into the former coalfields of County Durham, revitalising the most deprived areas of the county.

Thanks to County Durham Foundation�s Millennium Award scheme, funded by the Millennium Commission with matched funding from endowment fundholders at the community foundation, the award winners were offered training, mentoring and skills development. They also had the chance to visit other projects round the country for inspiration and specialist training relevant to their community training, such as paralegal and youthwork training. Projects set up by award winners include a support group for people with severe hearing loss, a drug awareness project and a cycling club for people with disabilities.
County Durham Foundation (includes Darlington)

Sahara - Asian women�s video project
Sahara provides accommodation and support for Asian women fleeing domestic violence. They were looking for new ways to help their women develop the skills to live independently in the community and applied to Berkshire Community Foundation for �6,700 to develop a user led video project by the women. Many of the women need to develop their written and spoken English and through this project they will produce a video which covers basic language requirements and community resources. Using this video as a starting point, the women will be encouraged to participate in other community learning initiatives already available in the area.

The project manager, Hydeh Nefarieh comments that the foundation was: �Very responsive to our ideas and flexible in their response. This project is a new and practical way for vulnerable Asian women to acquire some essential skills and more importantly the confidence to move on to other learning opportunities in the community.�
Berkshire Community Foundation

Do it
A grant of �5490 from the Berkshire Community Foundation enabled a small group of people in Slough who had been unemployed a considerable time to get together, learn new skills in desk top publishing and support other voluntary groups by designing and publishing leaflets, posters and newsletters for them. As well as developing the participants� confidence and self esteem, the project opened up other IT training and employment opportunities. Slough Borough Council, impressed by the project�s innovative approach, offered further funding to enable the project to develop and review its viability as a community business.
The project manager, John Nicholson, comments: �What I really like is the chance to try out something that is small, but significant � an idea that could be substantial in terms of its longer term impact on people�s lives.�
Berkshire Community Foundation

Tackling child poverty - Local Network Fund for children and young people
The Local Network Fund is part of the government�s commitment to eradicate child poverty within a generation. It is a grant-making programme for small voluntary and community groups tackling poverty and disadvantage affecting children and young people throughout England. Starting in 2001 in the most disadvantaged areas of the country, it now covers all parts of England so that all children and young people experiencing material poverty or poverty of opportunity, wherever they live, can benefit from community-based responses to their needs.

The government identified community foundations as the primary means of ensuring that grants reached their targets. Community Foundation Network set up and managed the fund for the first two years, finding local grant-makers to reach out to children and young people in need and to local people with great ideas for tackling those needs. Now centrally managed by the government�s Children and Young People�s Unit, it has been extended to 2005.

In most areas, community foundations are the local grant-making partners for the Local Network Fund. Where an area has no community foundation, other partners have been identified. Other organisations are also involved in the fund by publicising the fund widely to local communities.

Grants are made according to four themes:

• Aspirations and experience - giving children and young people experiences of helping them achieve goals that more privileged children take for granted


• Economic disadvantage - helping families improve their living standards and cope with the difficulties of being on low income


• Isolation and access - helping children that are isolated or alone, or having trouble getting access to services


• Children�s voices - giving children and young people the chance to express their opinions and give advice on issues that concern them

Fermanagh online
An exciting and innovative approach to building e-communities in Northern Ireland is being led by The Fermanagh Trust in partnership with British Telecom in Northern Ireland and local authorities.
Working with about 38 local rural community organisations throughout Fermanagh, the �100,000 Fermanagh Communities On-Line Initiative will equip participants with internet ready computer equipment and develop the groups� ICT competence and effectiveness. It will also develop a dedicated e-hub for the county to support and enhance communication among local communities and the private and public sectors throughout the region.

Fermanagh�s economy has suffered through the decline in traditional agriculture and industry, with its rural areas and communities bearing the brunt. The Trust envisages that by supporting groups to discover the possibilities of the new technology, it will enable them to act as demonstration models and encourage the filtering of the technology within all sections of their local communities.
The Fermanagh Trust

CHallenge, Achievement, Success + Experience = CHASE
Chase, Scotland�s Millennium Awards scheme for young people, was launched in December 2001. Chase, a consortium made up of The Scottish Community Foundation and other organisations, supports the personal development of 14-25 year olds through creative award opportunities. Funded by The Millennium Commission, the programme involves socially excluded young people who have a project idea that could make a difference to both themselves and their communities.

One such young person is 22 year old Karmjit Badesha who having experienced racism first-hand used his award to produce a film of young people sharing their experiences, ideas and hopes as they break down barriers and build friendships. Each award includes support throughout the programme from a trained mentor, a course to create a practical network of contacts within the local community and a grant to enable the ideas to become reality.
The Scottish Community Foundation

Deprivation amid affluence
'How is it that in 2002, in one of the most affluent counties in England, a homeless man could starve to death outside a major supermarket?' asks Berkshire Community Foundation's community needs survey. Launched in 2003 the survey points out the pockets of need hidden under Berkshire's affluence. Community foundations research their areas in depth to help establish grant-making priorities.
Berkshire Community Foundation

Diversions from violence
Some years ago, the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland was concerned about the suffering caused to people living in communities that are living close to interface areas (the line between a mainly Nationalist area and a Unionist area) or that are overshadowed by our towering 'peace walls.' The community foundation raised funds to give out a range of small grants which could be used to offer diversionary activities for young people who often got caught up in the violence; to organise outings for pensioners that were suffering stress and fear; to support initiatives that offered mediation or monitoring of sensitive issues; and to provide immediate assistance in the aftermath of riots or bombings. With the agreement of the board of trustees, grants could be turned around and offered very quickly. The Interface Fund distributed �20,000 in 2001, �25,000 in 2002 and is currently working to a budget of �30,000 in 2003.
Community Foundation for Northern Ireland

Idyllic escape from street living
Bristol Methodist Centre is a project working with homeles people. Each day around 60 people call in for support and around 150 meals are provided each week. 'It's an absolutely idyllic escape from the grim realities of street living.' Greater Bristol Foundation granted them �2050, one of over 900 groups to share over �1.5 million from the foundation last year. The grant came from the Bristol Collection Box Scheme, a fund set up by city retailers for shoppers that want to help Bristol's homeless but are reluctant to give to people begging on the street. Grants are distributed by the foundation to support the resettlement of homeless people.
Greater Bristol Foundation (covers Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset)

Encouraging groups
Milton Keynes Community Foundation is one of many foundations to offer funding from the European Social Fund, boosted by matching funding from their own resources. With their detailed knowledge of local communities, community foundations are ideally placed to encourage groups that have never before applied for funding. ESF programmes aim to help people progress towards work. 'The grant we received has made a massive difference to our organisation, enabling us to redevelop our patisserie. Macintyre Care's coffee shop gives many people with learning difficulties the opportunity to interact with customers while developing skills and confidence in a busy working environment,' said Annette Coneely.
Milton Keynes Community Foundation

Supporting cutting edge programmes
Benchill in Manchester is the most deprived ward in England. Recently it has been transformed through the efforts of United Estates of Wythenshawe, a professional health and fitness centre created by resident Greg Davies to steer young people towards more constructive lifestyles. Community Foundation for Greater Manchester is committed to making funding available to grassroots community groups and community entrepreneurs such as this and has so far provided �20,000 from a variety of sources, including �8,000 from a regular anonymous donor.
Community Foundation for Greater Manchester

Acting as a catalyst
Blaenllechau Community Regeneration is based in a former mining village in the South Wales valleys, an area which suffers from a high level of deprivation and offers very few opportunities for young people. Sefydliad, the community foundation in Wales, secured a 3 year grant of �115,000 for a youthwork project which encourages teenagers, previously with minimal school attendance, to pursue further training.
Sefydliad, The Community Foundation in Wales

Targeting financial exclusion
Scottish Community Foundation helped create a fund worth �150,000 over three years, targeted specifically at financial exclusion faced by homeless people, thanks to State Street Corporation and two charitable trusts. They now fund a Money and Debt Advice Project for homeless people whose debts can entrench their homelessness.
The Scottish Community Foundation

Combating isolation
A few years ago, Jane Atkinson became deaf. Realising how few services exist for people in her position, Jane worked to set up a support group. With support from County Durham Foundation, Jane has already changed the lives of deafened individuals in her area and now has a vision to set up support groups across the county.
County Durham Foundation (includes Darlington)

Responding in time
Concern over the length of time ambulances took to respond to emergency callls in remote areas led Cumbria Community Foundation to encourage the development of First Responder groups, trained and equipped with defibrillators. They now support nearly half the 33 teams throughout the county.
Cumbria Community Foundation

Jumpstarting play
Herefordshire is a very rural community with low levels of pay, which means that people find difficulty in accessing facilities. Jumpstart provides affordable play activities for children under five in the isolated villages on a round robin basis with the support of a grant from the recently founded Herefordshire Community Foundation
Herefordshire Community Foundation

GEMS kick racism out
Gravesham Ethnic Minority Sport (GEMS) organises multi-ethnic football teams for children. It received a grant from the new Kent Community Foundation for training sessions and a 'Kick Racism out of Sport' event.
Kent Community Foundation