Community Fund for Reigate and Banstead

We urgently need more donations to help our local voluntary sector cope in Reigate and Banstead post-pandemic

All donations are welcome and will make an important difference to the voluntary sector Covid-19 recovery in Reigate and Banstead.

The Need

Despite being one of the wealthiest boroughs in England, Reigate and Banstead has unseen pockets of hardship and need in areas such as mental health, care for the elderly, poverty, homelessness, and domestic abuse. The borough also contains the most deprived ward in Surrey and many, often underfunded, sports and community clubs.

The Fund and How to Give

The Community Fund for Reigate and Banstead is a new and growing philanthropic fund that provides support specifically to local projects which tackle need, disadvantage, and community participation across the borough of Reigate and Banstead. Run by volunteers, and managed by the Community Foundation for Surrey (CFS), the Fund, comprising donations from individual residents and local companies, has a long-term endowment fund for future growth, and a grants fund from which disbursements are made to local charities and good causes on a regular basis

Please donate to help your local community at this critical time, by clicking the following button:

Beneficiaries of the Fund

We are delighted to have been able to distribute more grants to local good causes, particularly to groups assisting in the response of the coronavirus pandemic at this time:

St Matthew’s Foodbank SCRF – launched in response to growing concern relating to local cases of poverty and hunger amongst the most vulnerable in Redhill and the surrounding area. The organisation provides local families and individuals who are struggling with essential food and supplies.

A grant was awarded for portacabins to ensure the operation of the foodbank that was urgently in need of a dedicated space due to previous sites having to close as a result of the pandemic. Funding also supported a new Co-ordinator within the organisations team, to meet the 380% increase in demand against the previous year.

The Children’s Trust – provide vital support to children with severe brain injuries and their families, who are most vulnerable. Funding was awarded for the increased use of Personal Protective Equipment needed to protect clients and staff when delivering day to day care. This grant also supported with additional cleaning costs and materials to further ensure the safety of those at the charity.

Merstham Community Facility Trust – provides low-cost food and support to vulnerable local residents across Redhill. Funding supported the salary costs for their General Manager, a critical role to ensure the café’s operational success. The cafe aims to make delicious, wholesome food available to everyone within the local community using quality, donated ingredients to keep costs low. The café provides a welcoming place for clients to meet one another, access much needed services and feel part of their community.

“We’re extremely grateful to the Community Fund for Reigate and Banstead for supporting the Merstham mix with critical funds during the pandemic. This funding has allowed us to keep our services running and deliver hot meals to the most vulnerable in the community. Despite these challenging times, the collaboration and support from our funders has allowed vital services to continue and been a tremendous support to the community of Merstham.”

Our Grants Fund Panel

Our independent grant making panel is supported by the Community Foundation for Surrey, Crispin Blunt MP for Reigate, and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, and is made up of local stakeholders and donors with a knowledge and interest in the community.

#walktheborough

The Community Fund for Reigate and Banstead is Cllr Rosemary Abasalom’s Charity of the Year.

Congratulations to the Mayor and the Mayors Consort, David Absalom for making excellent time in walking the borough Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September 2020.

Thank you to everyone that donated!

virginmoneygiving.com/RBBCMayor

No matter how much or how little you give, your donation will go to a really important local good cause.

The Community Foundation for Surrey thanks SES Water, Concept Financial Planning and Reigate and Banstead Borough Council for their generosity towards this local area fund, and is delighted to be able  to support even more vital local causes with this funding!

“As a small local company deeply embedded in the communities we serve, we are not seen as just a supplier of water and we don’t want to just deliver great service for our customers – we want to play an active part in improving the areas we are privileged to serve.”

– Cat Holland, Head of Communications at SES Water

If you have a project in the area of Reigate and Banstead that needs support, submit your interest today.