First Utility Foundation makes its first grants
Howard Lake | 3 July 2015 | News
First Utility Foundation has made its first grants to 11 charities that support vulnerable individuals and families across the UK.
The Foundation, founded last year and funded by one per cent of First Utility’s profits, has selected projects that will support seriously ill children and their families, improve access to foodbanks, and help combat loneliness among the disabled and elderly.
Three of the 11 charities received a Flagship Grant from the First Utility Foundation to fund a specific initiative or project:
• AbilityNet, which delivers free in-home IT support and training for elderly or disabled people across the UK, is receiving a grant to expand its reach and enhance its network of volunteers as it works to combat the isolation and loneliness of many disabled and elderly people.
• The Trussell Trust, which runs the UK’s largest network of foodbanks, is being awarded a grant to improve its referrals programme for beneficiaries under its ‘More Than Food’ initiative.
• Rays of Sunshine will use its grant to fulfil hospital ward wishes to help create environments which are less frightening for seriously ill children.
Core costs grants
The eight other grants help cover the charities’ core costs. The selected charities cover a wide range of issues across the UK, including training and work experience for people with learning disabilities, providing learning support for children with autism, alleviating poverty and deprivation as well as providing advice and casework support to low income families. The charities are Contact the Elderly, DASCAS, Junction 12, Peach, Riverside Advice, U Can Do IT, Where Next and Z2K.
Dr John Roberts CBE, Chair of First Utility Foundation’s board of trustees said:
“The Foundation was initially set up to give something back to the wider community as a thank you to First Utility customers. As we make our first round of grants available I am delighted that we’ve been able to support some excellent, grassroots charities in their important work to help improve the lives of vulnerable people across the UK.”
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2016 grants
From 2016 the Foundation will issue grants twice yearly to charities and charitable projects across the UK supporting vulnerable families and individuals. In particular it will fund small charities that:
• Change the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable families and children for the better
• Improve the quality of life for older people
• Make life better for people with disabilities
The First Utility Foundation’s next next grant cycle opens in 2016. First Utility’s customers can also recommend an eligible charity.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.