West Nation Monetary Planning agency Previous Mill has handed £50,000 to native good causes by its charitable fund which has awarded 40 grants and supported greater than 4,000 folks throughout Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire in three years.
The Previous Mill Fund was arrange in 2019, when the enterprise partnered with grant-making charity Somerset Group Basis (SCF).
Jon Orchard, accomplice at Previous Mill, mentioned: “Whereas should not have a selected financial purpose in thoughts, we want to proceed to unfold the phrase about how vital we consider philanthropic giving ought to be for companies and people, and lead by instance.
“We’re discovering that companies are beginning to assume extra about their impression on the communities round them and the way they could be a highly effective power for good.”
The cash is raised by common donations straight from Previous Mill, private contributions and fundraising by workers on the firm’s 4 workplaces in Wells, Yeovil, Chippenham and Exeter.
Jon Orchard helps handle the fund and has personally raised greater than £2,500 by varied sponsored occasions, together with a 45-mile run and strapping himself to the highest of a stunt aircraft.
Twice a yr, Somerset, Devon and Wiltshire Group Foundations assess purposes they’ve obtained from inspiring native tasks that match the fund’s three key goals of constructing brighter futures, lowering rural loneliness and strengthening communities.
Previous Mill chooses the tasks it could most prefer to assist; charities which have been awarded grants to date embrace Candy Monitor Counselling Company, a counselling service based mostly in Glastonbury, Open Arms East Devon, which offers assist for adults with psychological well being difficulties, and Wiltshire Treehouse, a charity that gives bereavement assist for youngsters, younger folks, and households in Swindon and Wiltshire.
One of many charities which have been chosen this yr is Doorway, a Chippenham-based challenge that helps weak adults experiencing homelessness or housing points, by working drop-in classes providing sizzling meals, showers, laundry, web entry.
The opposite is Youth Useful resource Providers, a part of The Rendezvous – a youth challenge in Yeovil and Sherborne. The grant will present one to 1 maths and English tutoring for younger individuals who battle in conventional instructional settings.
Laura Blake, philanthropy director on the Somerset Group Fund, mentioned: “Our partnership with Previous Mill is a really particular one.
“The agency’s donations to The Previous Mill Fund have helped us present extra important funding for small, native charities working to assist younger folks, enhance folks’s psychological well being and spend money on strengthening native communities and we’re thrilled to have awarded over £50,000 of funding since 2019.”