SIXTEEN COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS SHARE IN BUMPER £26,000 WINDFALL

Sixteen community groups across Norfolk, north Suffolk and east Cambridgeshire are to share a combined windfall of £26,000, following the latest round of grants from Lovewell Blake’s LB150 Fund – taking the amount given out in grants since the Fund was founded eleven years ago through the £275,000 mark

The money was raised over the past 12 months by staff and partners at the leading regional firm of chartered accountants, business advisers and financial planners.

A wide range of charities, voluntary groups and community organisations have received grants ranging from £495 to £2,000 to help deliver a variety of community activities.  The recipients of the grants were chosen by a panel of Lovewell Blake staff, assisted by the Norfolk and Suffolk Community Foundations, which administer the LB150 Fund.

The organisations receiving grants were:

• Fresh Start New Beginnings in Great Yarmouth, which receives £2,000 to fund the salary costs of a specialist child sexual abuse worker to help reduce waiting times and provide a therapeutic programme of support for child victims of sexual abuse
• Watton Sports & Recreational Centre, which was given a grant of £2,000 to contribute to the costs of new gym equipment to aid rehabilitation and health
• Cancer Campaign in Suffolk, which received £2,000 towards complementary therapy and counselling sessions for cancer patients
• Whitton Youth Partnership in Ipswich, which was given £2,000 to establish a senior youth club
• The Prospects Trust in Reach, which received £2,000 to renovate an old farm building into an extended tea barn for service users
• Wilburton Cricket Club in Cambridgeshire, which received £2,000 to purchase new mobile cricket nets for use in the village and surrounding villages
• TOPCATS in Lowestoft, which was given £1,975.76 towards the TOPCATS Nature Project
• The St Edmunds Society in Norwich, which received £1,896 to pay for a projector, tablets and keyboards for use by young people
• Suffolk Rape Crisis, which received £1,800 to provide online counselling support
• Bungay Black Dog Running Club, which was given £1,761 to contribute towards the costs of installing power to the field to make the running centre more accessible for all abilities
• Friend in Deed, which received £1,558.62 to fund intergenerational activities in care homes across Norfolk
• Great Yarmouth Cricket Club, which received £1,558.62 to contribute towards sports equipment costs
• Kingfisher Amateur Boxing Club in Gorleston, which was given £1,000 to contribute towards gym kits and equipment to use ion training for the increasing number of youth members
• Little Thetford Village Hall, which received £1,000 to purchase indoor table tennis tables, to set up a table tennis club for the benefit of 300 local residents
• Greenfinch Church in Ipswich, which received £955 to refurbish the kitchen area
• Neatishead Community Gym, which received £495 to contribute towards a recumbent bike

“We are delighted to be able to support such a variety of fabulous organisations which are doing such great work in our communities,” said Gary Flatt, Lovewell Blake’s CSR partner.  “These groups are what bind our communities together, and they are the inspiration for our staff and partners to undertake fundraising activities throughout the year.

“This year we have given £26,000 thanks to the efforts of our staff, and to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts during the year.  We are very proud that we are able to continue to support a range of brilliant community groups 11 years after we first set up the LB150 Fund.”

The LB150 Fund was originally set up in 2008 as part of the firm’s 150th anniversary celebrations, with the aim of raising £150,000 for local charities and community groups in five years.  Once the target was achieved, the firm decided to continue the fund, and to date it has raised over £275,000 since its foundation.

Case Study: Kingfisher Amateur Boxing Club

Founded in 1964, Kingfisher Amateur Boxing Club offers amateur boxing training to young people and adults from its premises on Riverside Road in Gorleston.

Run entirely on a voluntary basis, the club is the only England Boxing registered club in the Great Yarmouth area.  Operating every night of the week, as well as weekends, the club offers training to all ages, male and female, regardless of ability.

The club has received a £1,000 grant from the LB150 Fund to enable it to replace gloves, headgear and gum shields for its Under 13s boxers.

“It is really important for the youngsters to have the correct equipment,” explained club child welfare officer Leigh Reeder.  “It’s vital that we are able to train them safely, but also having the best equipment sends a message to the young people that they are valued.

“The club is run entirely on a voluntary basis, so we rely on raising enough funds throughout the year to maintain our premises, renew equipment, and cover other running costs such as insurance.

“We are proud to be an inclusive club, running training for young people who have lost their way in life, and sessions for people with a range of disabilities, as well as our regular youth and adult sessions.  It is really rewarding to see the confidence and self-esteem of those who take part grow, and donations such as this enable us to continue doing what we do.”