FOUR local projects working with some of society’s most vulnerable women and girls have received a much-needed funding boost from Northamptonshire Community Foundation.
Small charities and community groups have received grants of £5,000 to £10,000 from the Tampon Tax Community Fund to work with women of all ages, focusing on preventative services for those at risk of crisis.
Projects receiving funding will help women and girls get into or back to work, improve health and wellbeing and develop social networks.
As one of the UK’s largest grant-giving organisations, UK Community Foundations was asked by government to distribute the largest share of the funding raised through the levy on sanitary products in 2017/18 to small, local projects, working with its network of Community Foundations across the country.
UKCF Director of Programmes and Development Vicki Papworth said: “Community Foundations work with grassroots groups who are running vital services on a shoestring and supporting some of the most marginalised people in our society. This funding will enable them to run some amazing projects that make difference on the ground to the women and girls who need it most.”
The projects funded through Northamptonshire Community Foundation across Northamptonshire are:
* Baby Basics Northampton – to provide family support provisions to new, vulnerable mums within Northamptonshire.
* Relate Northamptonshire – to work with women to offer emotional wellbeing and mental health counselling.
* Northamptonshire Rape Crisis – to provide wellbeing support for women recovering from sexual violence.
* Northamptonshire Parent Infant Project (NORPIP) – to provide a support group for new young mum’s and new young mum’s to be.
Community Foundations were oversubscribed in all areas for the Tampon Tax Community Fund. Only a quarter of the 1,500 applications for vital women and girls projects could be supported from this stream of funding.
Community Foundations are independent charities that make grants to support grassroots groups. They work with local businesses, funders and the government to create tailored programmes of grant-making that respond to the needs and assets of communities. They also distribute funding secured through national programmes, including the Tampon Tax Community Fund.
Rachel McGrath, Deputy CEO of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to have worked on this fund to enable local grassroots groups to do targeted work in supporting women and girls. The quality and standard of applications was very high but unfortunately our women-led grants panel had to make some tough decisions as the fund was heavily over-subscribed. We look forward to providing groups with another opportunity to apply again in the new financial year.”
In association with Northamptonshire Community Foundation. To find out more about the fantastic work of NCF visit www.ncf.uk.com or call 01604 230033.