Over the last few months, we have been involved in a matched funding offer from the Four Acre Trust. The offer, which was open between May and September 2021, enabled any donations of over £500 received from a new donor to be matched by the Four Acre Trust, effectively doubling the donation.
This is a wonderful initiative from the Four Acre Trust, that we have been fortunate enough to be involved in, in previous years. We are so grateful for the opportunity to be participants again this year, and we have worked hard to secure as much funding as possible to be matched by the Four Acre Trust.
Donations have come from a number of new individuals and organisations including;
The total income raised through this initiative is an incredible £15,380, (£7,690 + £7690 matched funding) which represents 8.3% of our total fundraising target for the year. This amount of income will enable us to provide weekly home visiting support by a trained volunteer to more than 11 families in need for 9 months each, which is outstanding!
During the last 18 months, we have faced both financial and practical challenges due to the pandemic, including fundraising events cancelled, and changes in the way we were able to support families. The families we support have seen increased challenges managing their mental health, and more parents than ever before have told us they have felt isolated. For many families, their weekly contact with Home-Start has been a lifeline. The regular, non-judgemental reassurance of a trusted friendly volunteer has been vital in helping so many families to navigate the challenges of life during a pandemic.
One family recently said of the support they had received:
The support was exactly what I wanted and communication was good. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to visit than (my volunteer). Thank you.
We are extremely grateful to the new donors who have engaged with us through the Four Acre Trust matched funding initiative. Developing our supporter and donor base is fundamental to the sustainability of our charity and we look forward to working with our new donors in the future.
There are many ways that you can support Home-Start including making a financial donation, or donating your time or expertise to support us in our work. We are always delighted to hear from new supporters and you can get in touch by emailing admin@hsrsc.org.uk, through the contact us page on our website or by calling 01763 262262. We really look forward to hearing from you.