This year Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales celebrates its 25th anniversary, and during the first six months of this celebratory year has invested £10.9m in communities across England and Wales to tackle disadvantage. During this period:-
• The Foundation has awarded a total of 402 grants, investing £10.9m in charities supporting those most vulnerable in society across England and Wales;
• The average grant size has increased to £31,000, with the majority being awarded over two and three years, providing larger and more sustainable grants for charities at a time when funding is becoming more difficult to secure;
• 21% of all eligible requests have been from charities working with children and young people, to which the Foundation has awarded £1.4m. 46% of the funding has been targeted towards the top 20 most deprived areas ensuring that the Foundation’s investment is weighted to those geographies and communities most in need.
• The Foundation has also received many requests from charities working in advice, advocacy and outreach, with £1.4m being awarded in this area, followed by a further £270,000 awarded in July to six Citizen Advice Bureaux across England. Gillian Guy, Citizens Advice Chief Executive said: "For those bureaux being supported by the Lloyds TSB Foundation this money will make a substantial difference, allowing them to continue to provide the high-quality, free, independent and confidential advice and financial education services communities rely on."
Linda Kelly, the Foundation’s Chief Executive, said: “In such difficult economic times, we are delighted to continue to provide much needed support for core costs and support charities helping the most disadvantaged in our society.“
