Reigate & Banstead Community Fund

The Reigate and Banstead Community Fund provides support to local projects which tackle need and disadvantage across the borough of Reigate and Banstead.

This new fund is the 8th borough/district Area Fund across the county managed by the Community Foundation for Surrey, and has been developed in partnership with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, the Community Foundation for Surrey, and representatives from the local community.

The grant making panel is supported by the Community Foundation, and is made up of major donors, the borough council, and other local stakeholders with a knowledge and interest in the community. This model has successfully worked in other areas of the county with the Community Foundation, and provides an important local emphasis for funding in Reigate and Banstead.

The Reigate and Banstead Community Fund is a long-term fund that people can either donate to now, or leave a legacy to in the future. The easiest way to donate is via the Fund’s Virgin Money Giving page.

We are delighted with the continued support of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council who have offered to match-fund new donations up to (a total of) £10k made to the fund between now and 31 March 2020!

Further information on how to give can be found at the bottom of the page.

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Recent Grant Awards

We were delighted to be able to distribute more grants to local good causes at our panel meeting on 10th January 2020 – These were as follows:

– £1,500 to Sight for Surrey for communication classes to sight disables people in Redhill

– £2,500 to Princess Alice Hospice for a community allotment in Banstead

– £2,500 to Age Concern Merstham, Reigate and Redhill to continue their valuable work with elderly people

This total of £6,500 worth of grants adds to the £7,500 granted in July 2019 and means that the Fund has distributed £14,000 in local grants to seven local charities in the past six months, a magnificent achievement!

 

Do you have a project in this area that could use support?

If so, apply for funding by filling in an Expression of Interest Form here! 

 

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Other projects that have been supported by the Fund are:

Voluntary Action Reigate and Banstead Festive Feast

VARB supports and promotes the voluntary, community and faith sector, voluntary organisations and volunteering in the Borough of Reigate & Banstead.

This grant will support a Christmas dinner and a celebration event for people on their own at Christmas in Reigate and Banstead. The event brings together the most vulnerable and isolated people within the Borough to celebrate and have fun. The grant will help towards the costs of hiring tables, entertainment, gifts, food and drink, publicity and travel expenses.

Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid

A Refuge, based in East Surrey, for women and children fleeing severe domestic abuse. The service provides accommodation and support to women and children over an average period of 6 months whilst resident, and for a further 3 months once the families have resettled in new accommodation.

The grant provided welcome packs that included essential items for women and children seeking safety at the refuge, for example, household items, new bedding, towels, toiletries, food, money and toys. These packs support the women to feel valued, having often fled their homes with nothing. Through giving the families brand new items, the charity can help them by easing their worries about how they will survive.

As we start the new decade, there is every reason for optimism that the Reigate and Banstead Community Fund will continue to grow in scale in the coming years, enabling us to distribute more grants to address local need and also to enlarge our endowment fund for the future.

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Announcing our patron, Nicholas Owen

We are delighted to welcome BBC Newsreader and Reigate resident Nicholas Owen as Patron of the Reigate and Banstead Community Fund.

“I am honoured to be Patron of the Reigate and Banstead Community Fund and lend my support to this fantastic initiative.”

 

 

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