Finance update: grants and business connections

Grants
We have been successful in receiving 2 grant applications from a one-off scheme called Caring Communities. One grant will fund our community tea parties that will be held in sheltered accommodation. We hope this will be a way of developing further communities where isolation and loneliness is a problem in a more structural way; the idea that these community members begin to take ownership of the tea parties with Communicare’s assistance. Debbie West, a community worker at Southampton City Council, is partnering with Communicare to provide direction to which communities will best benefit from the community tea initiative. The other grant will be used to facilitate a new lunch club in the East side of the city; where this will be is yet to be confirmed.

Business in the Community
With funding becoming less of an option for charities to rely on in terms of finances due to cuts, it is important for Communicare to find new and sustainable sources of income. Terry Smith a Business Connector from Business in the Community met up with Annie, Hannah, and Melodie to learn more about Communicare. We discussed things such as advertising, social media and marketing, I.T. and office equipment, to give a few examples. The conversation was very positive and we are hopeful that the contacts that we have been provided with will be key in forming good relationships and identifying potential resource, companies and organisations that would also benefit from collaborating with Communicare. The role of a Business Connector working for Business in the Community, a registered charity, is appointed to talented employees who are seconded from either a business or public sector to work in the community which is typically less advantaged and develop sustainable partnerships; often seen as a force for good and helping create healthy communities.