FOLD Connecting and investing in rural Cumbria An exciting addition to the Foundation’s flow through funds this year has been the Fibrus Community Fund Cumbria which was established by full fibre broadband company, Fibrus with an initial donation of £60,000. Awarded a significant contract to bring full fibre broadband to Cumbria’s rural communities, Fibrus is working hard to connect rural households to the fastest gigabit-capable broadband connections. The Fibrus Community Fund Cumbria offers grants to enable people to stay connected, whether it is young people accessing online resources for school, or elderly people ordering groceries and video calling family. Dean Jooste, Stakeholder Director at Fibrus, said: We saw a real need in Cumbria to address digital poverty. By enabling those in need to access computers and online services, we can boost the opportunities of youngsters and improve the quality of life for older people. It is important to us that while we’re bringing the people of Cumbria high speed connections, we continue to invest money to support our communities. Fibrus has supported a total of 10 organisations to date with grants totalling £17,330 and a second round of applications is underway. Organisations that have been supported include Carlisle Sight Support, who have purchased smart speakers to help with interactive training sessions for visually impaired people and Friends of St Cuthbert’s School in Wigton, to purchase iPads for use by digitally excluded children. The £130,000 capital donated to date by Shepley’s has therefore not just remained intact but grown. The income from the endowment is paid out in calculated distributions (typically 4% per annum) to causes that matter to Shepley’s. David continued: We established an endowment fund with Cumbria Community Foundation because they have a professional team and are well governed with a structured approach to providing support to the community. This makes it easier for us to support initiatives that can deliver a real positive impact to people’s lives. When setting up the fund it was important to Shepley’s to support small voluntary and community groups and organisations - grassroots groups – particularly those just starting out in the areas where Shepley’s employees are based. In this past year, projects supported include the provision of a Bereavement Support Practitioner for Child Bereavement UK, the Cumbria Wheelchair Sports Club, and a Customer Support Officer for Copeland Age and Advice Service. Another grant went to Millom Stepping Stones nursery to provide sensory equipment for a quiet and safe developmental space for their children with special educational needs. And there will be much more to come. As David says: The beauty of the endowment fund is that it is professionally managed, and constantly builds, providing a growing grant and donations “pot” to support community projects in perpetuity. £1,000 Donations per month £104,000 Grants distributed £171,000 Fund balance Endowment Shepley Group Fund One of our longest standing endowment fundholders Shepley Engineers Ltd is turning 75 this year. A nuclear stalwart, it is the longest-serving continuous contractor working with Sellafield. Committed to the local area, David Henderson, Shepley’s Nuclear Business Manager said: “We have always been involved in supporting local community groups and charities that do great work in the area.” The Shepley Group Fund is a great example of how regular giving can build a fund. A total of £130,000 in donations over the past decade has resulted in £104,000 of grants – but there is also £171,000 of capital in the pot, the bulk of which is growing on endowment. How do I set up a fund? Drop the team a line, andy@cumbriafoundation.org or nicci@cumbriafoundation.org Who can set up a fund? Anyone – a family, a private individual, a business - can set up a fund with a one-off donation or by building up a fund over time. There are two main types of funds. Funds held on endowment give longevity to the donation(s) as the income from the capital is used to make the grants. Flow through funds are spent in the year they are donated and make a more immediate impact. Here’s two great examples of each. Flow through Growing Local Philanthropy 22 23
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