Grant Programme Gives Boost to Grateful Organisations

This spring, The Fine & Country Foundation Board decided on 28 charities to receive funding in the latest Grant Programme. There was a total of £45,488 in grants awarded to charities across the UK and one in South Africa, each charity highly deserving in their own ways. We caught up with some of these organisations since they received their donations from the Fine & Country offices who nominated them.

The Amber Foundation Nominated by Fine & Country Dorking and Cranleigh

Louise Cheung, Fundraising Manager at The Amber Foundation, informed us that our donation of £2,000 towards a bed space at Farm Place in Surrey for young people who have struggled with homelessness and unemployment was greatly appreciated. She also provided us with the below case study; 

“Angel found himself homeless after his relationship broke down. After sofa surfing, staying with some relatives (which didn’t work out) and spending a few nights at a hostel he found an abandoned place to sleep and was street homeless in Staines for 8 months. When Angel arrived at Farm Place, our Surrey centre, he struggled at first. He found getting into a routine very difficult after being street homeless, but once he settled, he got on well with Amber’s programme of support. Angel found he could talk to Amber’s Team Leaders about anything, ‘I didn’t know how to talk to people before I came to Amber, I started talking to the Team Leaders and then I started progressing.’

“The support from Team Leaders was incredible, always giving Angel time to chat or advice that was just the right thing at the right time. He also took part in projects with VIY (Volunteer-It-Yourself) where he gained certificates while boosting his confidence and skills.

“Angel left Farm Place in summer 2022 and has since gone on to become a teaching assistant in art and drama in a primary school. Alongside this he has become a peer support worker for young people who are going through what he went through. Reflecting on his time at Amber Angel knows that the structure, the people and the environment were what he needed to develop. Angel is feeling so thankful to Amber, he wouldn’t be in the position he is in now without Amber’s support.”

New Beginnings Reading Nominated by Fine & Country Reading

Nuisha from New Beginnings Reading commented; “We are so pleased that New Beginnings Reading has been awarded a grant of £1,200 from the Fine & Country Foundation. This donation will contribute towards the cost of running our All Day Cafe for a year, which provides hot soup and a friendly space for 45 people in Reading who are homeless, isolated and struggling to cope with the crippling cost of living crisis.

“The Cafe is open on Monday and Thursday each week from 11 am – 3 pm. We operate from The Queens Arms pub, which has been converted into a comfortable space. Thanks to support from The Fine & Country Foundation around 45 people each week will have a friendly place to go where they can eat and socialise with like minded people, reducing their hunger and isolation.”

CANAAN TRUST Nominated by Fine & Country Head Office 

The following testimonial was received from a grateful single mother who makes use of the Trust’s services. She said: “I am thankful to the Canaan Trust for the help which they have given to me. I am a mother of three young children. I was initially reluctant to go to the Trust to ask for help with a food parcel. When I did I was greeted with such kindness and understanding. The staff put together a food parcel specifically to meet my needs. I was not only given food but also toiletries, hygiene products and formula milk. During our conversation I shared the issues I was having with my benefits and my rent arrears. The staff arranged for me to come to a series of meetings during which Claire assisted me resolve the issues with my benefits and also my Housing Benefit which helped to resolve the issues with my rent arrears.”

The grant from The Fine & Country Foundation will support the Trust in providing the food aid and subsequently assisting in addressing and resolving issues and needs within the community.

Julian House Nominated by Fine & Country Bath

Stephanie Audry, Trusts Officer at Julian House, contacted The Fine & Country Foundation to thank us for the grant they received from Fine & Country Bath. She said: “Thank you and the Trustees of the Fine & Country Foundation for the generous gift of £1,000. The refurbishment works for our Bath Homeless Hostel are scheduled for July-August 2023, and I will send you an update on the difference your support has made once the works have been completed. Your support will improve the lives of some of the most marginalised people in Bath, helping them start their journey of recovery from homelessness.”

Nuneaton Foodbank Nominated by Fine & Country Coventry 

Sleep Pod Nominated by Fine & Country Kent and East Sussex 

Fine & Country Kent & East Sussex have donated much-needed funding to their partner charity Sleep Pods UK, who help vulnerable people without a home in the UK and abroad providing emergency shelters. Peter Kenyon, co-founder of Sleep Pod, Goudhurst, Kent, said “We are delighted to receive this money from The Fine & Country Foundation which will make a huge difference to those in the greatest need of help.”

Thank you

We are incredibly humbled and grateful for our network’s and the public’s continued support of The Foundation. If you can, please do donate here so we can continue to do the work we do to support those facing homelessness and poverty around the world.

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