Chosen Charity: Somerset Community Foundation
The team at Orchard Shopping Centre is delighted to nominate Somerset Community Foundation as their chosen charity for the year starting 1st July 2024. We are hoping to raise £2,000 minimum for one of their funding programmes called The Somerset Fund, a Fund that aims to help locally based charities and community groups.
The Somerset Fund has the motto ‘Giving Together to Change the World on our Doorstep’. At Orchard Shopping Centre, our vision for the fundraising will be ‘A Community Drive Helping Locals to Thrive’.
How we are undertaking the campaign
We hope to welcome representatives from Somerset Community Foundation to Orchard Shopping Centre at various times of the year, to explain The Somerset Fund to locals and spread the word on their brilliant work. We will be looking to raise money for them in various ways, including taking part in challenges; offering the chance to donate at our free in-centre events and in some of our stores; plus arranging specific fundraising activities with tenants and key partners.
Amount Raised so far: £96
The Charity
Somerset Community Foundation is a grant-making charity that helps to build strong communities where everyone can thrive. They achieve this by facilitating local giving and funding charities in the nearby area.
Providing over £4 million of funding to hundreds of local groups each year, they offer vital support to help these organisations and people flourish. Their grant-making is driven by community insight and research and helped by the team’s amazing local knowledge.
To find out more about the Somerset Community Foundation, please visit their website: https://www.somersetcf.org.uk/ or read about their work in their Annual Review.
Somerset Fund – Impact Stories
Since 2002, Somerset Community Foundation has given over £25 million to local charities, community groups, and social enterprises of all sizes, thanks to the generosity of partners, funders, and donors. 25% of funding supported Somerset’s most rural communities, whilst 31% of funding was to support Somerset’s most deprived communities.
There are a number of amazing stories from right across the county. Here are links to just a few of them:
Huish Tigers Grassroots Rugby Club
Somerset African Caribbean Network (countywide group)
Future Fundraising Dates
We will use this space to keep you updated on events and fundraising initiatives at Orchard Shopping Centre and by our staff and tenants. We will have collection boxes at our in-centre events throughout the partnership period, so please do donate where you are able to.