Welfare – £3,296,750 distributed in 238 grants
The majority of grants made in this category were under £20,000, however donations of £100,000 each were made to Emmaus UK, Erskine, The Stroke Association and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.
Emmaus helps homeless people to help themselves, providing accommodation, full time work and training in an increasing number of “Communities” throughout England. Residents are required to work five days a week, collecting, refurbishing and selling donated goods. In return they receive food, clothing, rooms of their own and pay. The scheme aims to reduce dependency on handouts, teach new skills and build self respect and self sufficiency. Once set up, each Community aims to become self-financing and companions sign off primary benefits to work full time within the Community. Emmaus aims to create another six Communities by 2010.
Erskine is the foremost ex-service care facility in Scotland. It includes residential nursing (there are 353 permanent residents in four care homes across central Scotland), a 40 bed specialist dementia care unit, respite care, 56 war pensioners’ cottages and a woodwork factory, print shop and Garden Centre providing training, employment and rehabilitation for disabled workers. They provide therapies and support on site, together with social facilities and full programme of events and activities. The Trustees’ grant was to help set up a new residential facility in Edinburgh.
The Stroke Association sought support for launching a major media campaign to raise awareness amongst the general public that strokes are treatable, can be prevented and that investment into medical research will help save more lives.
The fourth grant for £100,000, to The Royal National Institute for the Blind, was for developing their Finding Your Feet programme nationally. The programme provides emotional and practical support to newly diagnosed blind and partially-sighted people through the delivery of residential workshops covering a wide range of relevant topics.
The Parchment Trust offers day care, leisure, occupation and support to people with very specific needs. Currently, the Trust runs a Cooperative for 19-plus school leavers with learning disabilities, a horticultural scheme for people with a variety of disabilities and 1 to 1 day schemes for those with profound and multiple disabilities. Eviction from their premises in Ore became likely so they embarked on an emergency fundraising drive to raise sufficient funds to purchase the premises. This was supported with a grant of £50,000.
£50,000 was given to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. The RNID has introduced a new service for deaf people with mental health issues aimed at bridging the gap between specialist healthcare provision and independent living. The Trustees’ contribution is to help with the building of specialist residential units.
A similar grant was provided to Barrowmore in Chester, a residential unit providing vocational training and meaningful employment for 35 people with disabilities. The project is the creation of supported move-on accommodation to encourage those with sufficient potential to achieve the maximum independence.
The Byker Bridge Housing Association in Newcastle received a grant of £30,000 towards the building of a new hostel. Combat Stress also benefited with £30,000 for its work with ex-Service men and women suffering from psychological injury such as clinical depression, phobic disorders and Post Traumatic Disorder.
Christians Against Poverty has been supported on a regular basis by the Trustees since its inception twelve years ago. Having started in one room the charity now operates its debt counselling service through a network of 72 centres based around the UK, all opened in partnership with a local church. It received a further grant of £25,000.
Home-Start UK is another charity which has been a beneficiary for many years and several branches feature on the list again this year whereby volunteers befriend mothers with young children who are often in challenging situations. An additional grant of £30,000 was provided to the national office for their bespoke training programme for new Scheme staff.
The U-Turn Project in East London was supported with £5,000 for its core costs. This charity provides services to vulnerable women, particularly those involved in street prostitution. Most have multiple needs including housing, health and drug issues.
