Thousands of pounds up for grabs for Oxfordshire charities as Gannett Foundation grants launched

Good causes across the county are invited to apply for a slice of funding worth up to £10,000 each, which is being given away by the Oxford Mail’s parent company Gannett Media.

The scheme, part of the firm's charity arm Gannett Foundation, runs annually to support the community and has helped secure the future for many smaller charities since the late 1990s.

Money given out has gone to a wide variety of causes, including helping to relocate a charity providing “talking newspapers” to the blind, helping to reopen a community adventure playground and supporting the opening of a new café giving disabled youngsters work experience.

Oxford Mail managing editor Sara Taylor said: “This is a great chance for charities across the county to apply for extra funding in what is a financially difficult time. It is becoming increasingly hard for charities and community projects to secure extra funding and I would hope many take advantage of this opportunity.

“I am also very glad to see that the trustees have expanded its criteria to welcome more organisations, such as scouting or guiding groups, to apply.”

Each year a special theme is chosen which this time is the needs of rural communities, although all applications that meet the general criteria will be given equal consideration.

THE ACE CENTRE

ONE of the projects that went on to do great things after a helping hand from the Gannett Foundation was the ACE Centre in Cassington.

The organisation helps with communication for people who have a physical impairment, language disorder or learning disability.

In 2007, the centre received a £5,000 grant to help start up a ‘Toys2talk’ project for severely disabled pre-school children which went on to be a great success.

Speech and language therapist Rachel Moore said: “At the time it was very difficult to get any funding for younger children before the age of five and we felt strongly about the importance for little ones to be able to communicate as well when their peers are learning how to.

“The project was with Oxfordshire children who had limited cognitive and physical abilities. Using a toy box, we worked to help them communicate through play.

“It was really successful and we had very positive feedback which included comments from families saying it was the first time they had been able to stand back and see their children do something independently.

“The project was for a fixed amount of time and helped us learn a lot.”

The group now has centres in Oxfordshire and Manchester which have merged together and provide support nationally.

OXTALK

OXTALK is a charity providing a “talking newspaper” for more than 100 blind and visually impaired people across Oxfordshire each week.

The group dates back to 1979 and has been awarded funding from the Gannett Foundation both in 2003, when it received £2,500, and in 2013, when it was given a grant of £3,000.

Chairman Margaret Simpson said: “A few years back we needed to buy all new equipment as we were moving from the Radio Cherwell recording studio to the Oxfordshire Association for the Blind.

“This meant we needed to buy new recording equipment and memory sticks which were previously provided for us.

“Without that money from Gannett I am not certain how we would have managed as we previously, very gratefully, relied on the recording studio.”

With the help of the grants, the group is still going strong after nearly four decades providing news with a team of 54 volunteers.

The charity works to provide around 100 people with talking newspapers each week and there are many more listeners online.

Despite the cash, Oxtalk is always on the hunt for new members to join the team in a number of roles, including technical officers who would be provided with training.

Ms Simpson added: “We are always looking for volunteers.

“Our membership is growing and we have been around for 37 years – we would like to be around for 37 more.”

For more information or to volunteer contact mail@oxtalk.org.uk

ELDER STUBBS GARDEN GROUP

A £2,000 cash boost from Gannett paved the way for bigger and better projects at Restore’s Elder Stubbs Garden group.

The mental-health charity, based in Oxford, uses gardening to help people with their recovery at allotments in Rymers Lane, Cowley.

The money it received in 2003 helped buy equipment, including a replacement for the 15-year-old freezer used by members who provide lunch for between 15 to 30 people each day.

Recovery co-ordinator Katie Rowell said: “I was not here at the time of the funding but I know how big an impact extra funds make – it allows us to do a lot more for our service users.

“We have very much grown in terms of how many service users we help, with about 65 adults in the group each week – which at the time we got the funding I expect would have been around 30 people.

“Back then the focus was about the gardens, cooking and woodwork but we are now also quite keen on including craft as well as something added into the mix.

“We are also growing vegetables and flowers, including the sensory garden we built over the last few years which is more ornamental.

“It is grant funding over the years which has enabled us to grow and it means we can do more to benefit a wider range of people.”

At the same time the charity’s gardening group was given £1,800 to also replace a rickety old shed.

For more information on Restore and the various projects involved see restore.org.uk

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply you must represent a registered charity or must not have received a grant from the foundation within the past two years.
• Applications will only be accepted electronically on the approved application form with full answers and necessary materials given.
• The closing date for applications is Friday, October 14, and forms can be found at oxfordmail.co.uk/gannettfoundation