Charities are celebrating this week as the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales announced that 141 organisations will receive grants worth £3.8 million. The grants were made through the Foundation’s Community programme to support small and medium underfunded charities that help disadvantaged people play a fuller role in their community.
As the economy enters recession, charities are likely to face a strain on their resources just to maintain their current work. Over 75% of the Lloyds TSB Foundation grants will support the salary costs of new or existing staff, allowing small and medium charities to continue providing core services to vulnerable individuals.
Seventeen charities in Lancashire and North Manchester will receive nearly £500,000 to support their work. Mustard Tree is a charity committed to improving and rebuilding the lives of homeless and marginalised people in Manchester. They will receive a two year grant worth £40,000 towards the core operating costs of its Freedom Project, working with homeless people, ex-prisoners and the long term unemployed to help them back into work with the support of local employers.
Lydia Chan, communications officer at Mustard Tree commented on the grant, “The people we work with have generally had few opportunities to fulfil their potential in the past. The Freedom Project offers them a chance to get back to work and get their lives back on track as an active member of the community. Funding from the Lloyds TSB Foundation will make a huge difference to the services we can deliver in Manchester.”
Linda Kelly, chief executive for the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales commented, “The quality of applications during this funding round was very impressive. We are particularly interested in charities working to improve disadvantaged people’s social and community involvement, provide them with better life chances or help them to be heard. The successful charities have shown that their work will deliver significant changes and benefits for their users. “
Full details of the 2008 grant programmes, regional contacts and recent recipient charities are available at www.lloydstsbfoundations.org.uk.
