The Trust’s flexible small grants system for between £4,000 and £10,000 gives quick decisions based on an easy application form and our detailed knowledge of local charities and local needs. These grants mean help for people in innovative ways through these organisations that know them – and the county – well.
We have been able to fund and monitor 38 small projects like these over the last two years. That time has been particularly challenging to these small, yet vital, organisations. They have been forced to revolutionise service delivery at short notice, taking services online where possible. Significant and sustained restrictions on their fundraising activities have made tight budgets tighter than ever. The Trust has been able to step in and ensure they continue to benefit local health through existing and new services.
Cogwheel Counselling’s Client Support Project
Cogwheel supplied 3,800 affordable counselling sessions in 2021, while striving against higher need and costs plus lower numbers of volunteers. The Trust helped provide a digital client management system and a new Clinical Assistant role to improve efficiency and ‘duty of care’ triage for their waiting list.
Cambridge Aid
We supported Cambridge Aid to continue to make grants to individuals in severe need, mostly for essential items such as a bed, a washing machine, or a specific piece of support such as a house deep clean to allow vulnerable people to go home again. This amazing volunteer group are often the last resort for desperate people and the professionals trying to help them.
Fullscope
Four young people from Cambridge Youth Panel co-created a ‘Piece of Mind’ box with artists from Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination – part of the Fullscope collaboration on mental health. Delivered via schools, the boxes were given to vulnerable young people. They contained carefully chosen art materials and a journal to make, together with noise-cancelling headphones for young people struggling to gain some private and reflective space while home schooling.
www.fullscopecollaboration.org.uk
The Sick Children’s Trust
Having originally helped to build one of their “home for homes”, we know how important this free service is to families with children rushed into Addenbrooke’s Hospital. It allows them to stay close when the last thing they should have to worry about is where they will eat and sleep.
Latvian Community Association in the UK
This Peterborough-based organisation supports Latvians and other Eastern Europeans to come together. They changed to an online system to run sessions by artists, plus crafter and book clubs giving local people the chance to undertake activities in their own language to combat the loneliness and isolation.
FACET
Fenland Area Community Enterprise Trust provides long term training and daycare support for young adults with learning disabilities and complex needs. We helped buy their new wheelchair accessible minibus to provide transport to their training centre.
Tom’s Trust
We helped fund their clinical psychologists in the Brainbow service at Addenbrooke’s, This helps children with brain tumours and their families to cope with the trauma of diagnosis, treatment and a very different life.