About the fund
We Love Lichfield is one of the Community Foundation’s place based funds. It provides grants to a wide range of projects operating across the district of Lichfield. The fund will consider all applications from local groups in need twice a year.
Companies and individuals make up the bulk of the donors to the fund, either through direct donations, or by fundraising. All the money raised is invested through an endowment fund in line with charity commission guidelines. The financial return from the fund is then distributed as small grants across the area. The beauty of this model is that it will provide a source of sustainable funding that can be used for grants long in to the future. It’s almost like a pension scheme set up to support community and voluntary groups across Lichfield.
Take a look at our video here to find out more: We Love Lichfield Video
Our target?
The fund aims to give away £50,000 every year to community groups and organisations through small grants forever, creating a lasting legacy for the district.
Fund advisors
The following people are either Fund Advisors of We Love Lichfield under the direction of The Community Foundation For Staffordshire:
Simon Price CEO of Arthur Price and Patron of We Love Lichfield
Julian Fisher Director of Townhouse Communications Limited
Andrew Maw Volunteer
John Heeler MD of Straightforward Solutions
Robert Yardley Volunteer and local councillor
Keith Eagland Volunteer
Richard Winterton MD of Richard Winterton Auctioneers
James Price Sales Director, Arthur Price
Alex Keller Head of Media, Richard Winterton Auctioneers
Elaine Hutchings Director, Hutchings Civils
James Austin Director of Shire House and Access Bookings
Katie Clayton Director of Katie Clayton Marketing
Supporters:
Steve Adams The Community Foundation For Staffordshire & Shropshire
How did the fund start?
The We Love Lichfield Fund started with funds that were previously held by Lichfield District Council.
The funds were donated in the past for very specific purposes, which can no longer be delivered, but yet the funds cannot be spent on anything else. By donating them to the We Love Lichfield Fund, they are not being spent, but they are generating a higher rate of return as they are being invested as part of a larger pot, and the interest earned on them is then being used for good causes. £25,000 was gifted in this way by Lichfield District Council from the following dormant trusts: J S Brown Bequest, Old Bath Bequest, Sir Thomas Hewitt Bequest and Lichfield Provident Bequest. This was then match-funded by The Community Foundation For Staffordshire. Donations were also made by other local businesses and organisations.
What’s the Community Foundation for Staffordshire and Shropshire?
The Community Foundation For Staffordshire and Shropshire (Registered charity number: 1091628. Company limited by guarantee number: 04220563) is an independent charity, started in 2001, and with currently nearly £10m in endowment funds. It is dedicated to strengthening local communities and tackling issues of disadvantage and exclusion, through the building of permanent endowments and the allocation of grants. It is one of nearly 60 community foundations throughout the United Kingdom.
The foundation is affiliated to the UK Community Foundations, an organisation that oversees national grants schemes laid out by various charitable bodies and the government. Every county in England has a community foundation and there are national community foundations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and a national community foundation for the Republic of Ireland.
As the foundation is locally based, the team understands local community needs. It identifies local needs and mobilises local resources, and works closely with local development and support organisations, local statutory bodies and businesses throughout Staffordshire for the betterment of the county, whilst remaining non-political. Plus the foundation’s board of trustees are drawn from across the county and have a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, from banking and finance, to business and the voluntary sector. This helps it to fully represent and understand the views of different sections of our county.
The team also distributes grants on behalf of government, national charities such as Comic Relief, and public organisations, as well as private donors and smaller endowment funds. Its expertise, comprehensive grant-making policies and procedures, and knowledge and understanding of the local community and its needs ensure that grants are targeted responsibly and carefully. Indeed, in 2010 The Community Foundation For Staffordshire and Shropshire achieved Quality Accreditation Mark II status to standards endorsed by the Charity Commission.