Tag: fundraising

London City Airport backs 14 East London charities with Community Fund – Including Us!

London City Airport today announced it is granting £38,000 to 14 local charities and community groups through its annual Community Fund. To help improve the quality of life in communities across East London, the airport has awarded grants of up to £3,000 to not-for-profit organisations based across five boroughs: Newham, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Lewisham. Among the local recipients that have secured funding are Hackney Playbus, which brings free play and early learning opportunities directly to young children and families; Beyond Sight Loss, which helps blind and partially sighted East Londoners to build independence; and Haven House Children’s Hospice, which supports children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Other awardees include charities which provide specialist movement and wellbeing sessions for stroke survivors, financial education for young people, free sport and mentoring activities, inclusive swimming for disabled adults and hospitality and employability training for people facing barriers to work. Since launching in May 2019, London City Airport’s Community Fund has donated more than £637,000 to more than 200 charities and not-for-profit organisations. The fund is part of a broader, ongoing community investment scheme. Other initiatives include the Inspire education programme, with BOSS Day and World of Work activities providing local young people with opportunities to develop employability skills, raise aspirations, build confidence and engage directly with employers. Alongside this, the airport is working with East London Business Alliance (ELBA) to deliver a pilot employment programme,“Fly High’, which connects local people with employment opportunities within aviation as well as hosting workshops and special airside tours of the airport. In addition, the next Meet the Buyer programme will take place in December, connecting local SMEs with buyers and business partners in the London Docks and building on last year’s event, which created £20 million worth of contracts for local SMEs. Andy Cliffe, Chief Executive Officer, London City Airport says: “What stands out in this latest round of awardees is the breadth of outstanding projects being delivered by charities across East London. These grants are just part of our commitment to making a real difference in communities across East London and we look forward to seeing the impact of the funding.” Nazmin Begum, Senior Community and Sustainability Manager, London City Airport adds: “One of the Community Fund’s strengths is the opportunity to support organisations that know what their communities need. Whether that is creating a safe place to talk about mental health, financial education or helping people to improve their physical wellbeing, these charities are turning funding into essential and practical support for local people.” Ikram Hirse, Co-Director, Hackney Playbus said: “We’re delighted to receive support from the London City Airport Community Fund for our Summer Family Connections programme. The programme creates free, welcoming opportunities for children and families across Hackney to play, connect, and spend time together during the summer holidays. For many of the families we support, accessible activities close to home can make a real difference in reducing isolation and building stronger community connections.” Alongside the Community Fund, London City Airport continues to support local communities closest to its operations across 13 boroughs including Bexley, Epping Forest District Council, Greenwich, Havering, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark. Further information about London City Airport’s Community Fund can be found on www.londoncityairport.com

Hosting a fundraising event for Plateful

Private fundraising clients and a chef

A couple of weeks ago, we hosted an Iranian meal private fundraising event for 18 people to raise funds for Plateful. It was such a pleasure to work alongside this charity and enjoy having people round our table that all shared a desire to help refugees in the UK.   Fundraising Ideas It was held in our house in Brockley. The idea originated from a conversation with Iolanda a few months ago following a small party they had catered for at Christmas. We had previously attended a similar event in the café in Hilly Fields Park and then thought why not do the same at home. We thought it was such a great idea and in retrospect we feel that it was a lovely evening and little effort on our part. Not only that, but we raised about £700.   Once we’d decided we wanted Iranian vegetarian food for about 16 people, Iolanda and I agreed the menu and then a volunteer designed a lovely poster with the invitation including the details, menu, cost etc. We were offering a 3-course meal at £35 to start at 7pm. We decided to offer drinks; however, it is also possible to ask people to bring drinks.   Furthermore, we sent the poster invitation to friends and family, our street WhatsApp group and other potentially interested people. On the day, we just laid the table (although if you don’t have a big table, a buffet style would work well). We borrowed some crockery and cutlery and some chairs. Of the 18, some were neighbours (some of whom we barely knew), family and friends. We even received a donation from 2 people who could not attend. We asked people to pre-pay via our own bank account and then sent the donations to the Plateful account.   Starting Preparation for the Event   Our lovely Iranian refugee arrived at 10am with Iolanda and the ingredients. She cooked and chatted and prepared fantastic food (aubergine and egg dish, samosas and bread to start, bean and herb stew with rice and salad, and fruit, dates and nuts to finish). We were able to offer pans and dishes, although again, this is not essential and can be provided by the charity. The cook left in the early afternoon. At 6.30 another refugee came with Iolanda to heat the food, cook the samosas and serve the food once the guests had arrived.   Everyone came on time and was very friendly. We decided to go round and introduce ourselves during the meal, however again this is not essential. Iolanda had left some crafts and non-perishable foods to sell in aid of Plateful. Almost all the goods were taken, and Iolanda trusted people to pay afterwards by bank transfer. After the guests left, our job was to clear up and discuss the success of the evening. We had caught up with old friends and met new ones. We had some very positive feedback and loads of food left over that we shared with our family.   Altogether, this was a lovely experience, and we highly recommend you offering to host such an event. Iolanda is very flexible and full of great ideas. She is lovely to work with and wants to make these events both popular as a fundraiser and to publicise the charity.