How trusts can help
Ever since Home-Start UK was established, charitable trusts and foundations, large and small, have played a crucial role in supporting our work and continue to do so today.
How trusts can help, and who to contact
Today, some of our most exciting projects are entirely funded by charitable trusts. In recent years, trusts have funded work to broaden our approach to evaluation by developing our monitoring and evaluation systems in order to evidence the effectiveness of our service for families; and work to strengthen the governance of local Scheme trustee boards.
Grants made to Home-Start UK are vital in enabling us to achieve our aims, in particular:
- Ensuring the highest possible quality of service is offered to families consistently across the UK.
- Responding to demands from families and communities by developing new and existing schemes.
- Offering training, support and guidance to staff and volunteer trustees.
If you prefer to fund in a particular geographical or subject area, it is quite possible that we will have a project in which you might be interested.
How trusts help support the development of our key communication functions
The Freemasons' Grand Charity awards grants to charities to help improve the quality of life for some of the most disadvantaged people in society. Home-Start is holding a major grant award from this trust which will enable us to continue to run our national free-phone information line for two years until the end of 2013. This service acts as the first point of contact for parents in difficulties. Staffed by specially trained people, this crucial service which helps over 4,000 people a year, describes the nature of support available to families under stress and refers parents to their local Home-Start. The grant award will also help to further develop our national website.
“Providing a place for parents to turn to when they feel they have no where else to go is central to the work of Home-Start UK. The freephone information line and web service both act as a lifeline for parents who are often not aware of the help available to them, many of whom are dealing with very difficult situations beyond their control. Providing support for people in need is at the heart of Masonic charitable giving and through this grant The Freemasons’ Grand Charity aims to help Home-Start UK provide key support services to the people who need it most. We are very happy to support Home-Start with this major grant of £64,000, which we hope will enable many hundreds of people get the care and support they need in the coming years.”
Laura Chapman, Chief Executive of The Freemasons’ Grand Charity
How trusts help support the development of best practice
The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation aims to improve the quality of life throughout the UK by funding charities that have the ideas and ability to achieve change for the better. Home-Start is holding a major grant from the Foundation which has enabled us to establish an Innovation Fund to encourage, evaluate and replicate innovation at the local level.
"The Home-Start model has proven success in enabling thousands of families to better cope with the problems they face, and improving life chances for children. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is keen to support the development of new ideas and practices, and we are delighted to be supporting the establishment of an Innovation Fund which matches this interest well. We hope the Fund will enable local Home-Starts to trial new approaches and ways of working, share learning with others and thereby expand the boundaries of what is possible and achievable within Home Start schemes".
Sharon Shea, Grants Manager
If you are a Trustee or Trust Fund Manager, please contact:-
Diane Kaczmar, Trust Fundraising Manager
dkaczmar@home-start.org.uk
0116 258 7923.
Or you can write to us at:
Home-Start UK
The Home-Start Centre
8 - 10 West Walk
Leicester
LE1 7NA
We would also be happy to arrange for you to visit us.
