The focus was on charity at Goodwood House last weekend where the Sussex Community Foundation held a charity fair bringing together 28 local Sussex charities and supporters. The Foundation was established in 2006 by the 10th Duke of Richmond who recognised that there were still areas of deprivation in what is typically assumed to be a relatively wealthy county. This support continues, with the announcement that the 11th Duke of Richmond will become the Patron of the charity.
Chichester is home to a huge variety of dedicated charities who sit at the core of our community; providing services for a range of local needs. We also have our fair share of successful businesses and individuals who want to give back, and this is where the Sussex Community Foundation come in. They provide a bespoke service to facilitate donors in their philanthropic ventures, advising them about the charities that exist in the area and the work they do, so they can determine where their money will do the most good. This is very useful; with 165,000 registered charities in the UK it can be difficult to navigate where donors can be most impactful.
The Foundation has been hugely successful, giving £14million in grants to around 200 charities, with a further £17million invested so they are able to provide support that is sustainable and long term.
Youth Dream in Selsey is one of the recipients, they work with young people providing advice and support to improve physical and mental health and put on a range of other activities to help with development. The grant they received developed the Hidden Garden, which provides fresh vegetables to the Foodbank and teaches young people about gardening, food nutrition and meal preparation.
Another beneficiary, City Angels are a group of around 80 volunteers who work in Chichester on Friday and Saturday nights. You may have seen them offering free water and coffee to those who have had one drink too many, or flip-flops to those whose heels may have been a bit ambitious. In their first year of operation, A&E admissions for alcohol related incidents on the nights they’re out fell by 61%. When I went out with the Angels team last year their impact and popularity was evident.
The range of work the Foundation supports is phenomenal; whether it be providing support to victims of abuse, or tackling loneliness for elderly people at risk of isolation, or improving access for people with disabilities. We are lucky to have such brilliant local charities, and such generous supportive donors. I think the Duke hit the nail on the head at the charity fair when he said: “The amazing diversity of local charities in Sussex is testament to the great vitality of our community and shows that many people share these values.”