In the beautiful Welsh coastal town of Goodwick in Pembrokeshire, porpoises have become the hot topic in the community and with Localgiving’s support; one project has been making waves with its online fundraising efforts…   Sea Trust Wales which was the first organisation to join the new Crowdfund Wales Programme, has cause to celebrate this week as in the first five days since setting up their Porpoise Project Appeal with Localgiving, they have raised over £2000 and have unlocked their match funding of £250! Sea Trust Wales is a marine conservation charity based in Pembrokeshire, which focusses on redressing imbalances in ecosystems in the sea and more generally, conserving marine life. Due to the current restrictions, the Catch and Release Aquarium has been closed to the public and some of the vital work of the Trust cannot be undertaken, having a significant effect on the Trust’s fundraising. However, Holly Dunn, a Project Officer for Sea Trust, didn’t let this dampen her spirits and decided to turn to the community and online fundraising to generate some much needed funds.   “As a team, we didn’t have much experience of online fundraising before, we had a donate button but didn’t realise how generous people would be and how much we could increase the profile of the work that we do…we have been overwhelmed by the support of the local community!”   A group of extremely committed volunteers, led by Holly, work on the Porpoise ID Project.  The project is vital for monitoring the health of the marine environment as porpoises are one of the UK’s top marine predators so studying them tells the team a lot about the state of the sea. If porpoise populations decline in UK waters, there would be a huge impact on the food chain, therefore monitoring  is vital to ensure the entire marine eco system in Wales does not become imbalanced. Holly added: “It’s not just the porpoises that benefit from what we are doing; it has a huge impact on the local area offering opportunities for volunteers to help with the data gathering and to understand more about our local marine life. We could not run this project without the backing of our community and we have heard that giving back and being involved in something so rewarding is having a positive impact on people’s mental health during this difficult time”.  If you know of a charity or community group in Wales that might benefit from our Crowdfund Wales Programme or who would like support with their online fundraising generally, please contact our Wales Development Manager: amy@localgiving.org   For Sea Trust Wales, this is very much the start of their online fundraising journey and it is hoped that once their appeal target is reached, people will continue to make regular donations so Holly and the team can continue to protect the health of the seas. To donate to the Porpoise Project Appeal, click here and you can also follow the success of the appeal on Twitter and Facebook.

Over the course of the pandemic, access to green spaces has become increasingly important. People are recognising the benefits of connecting with nature, growing their own food and the positive impact being in the great outdoors has on your mental well-being. Sadly, according to data from The Office of National Statistics, 1 in 8 households in the UK did not have access to a garden during the pandemic; with people from ethnic minorities being even more adversely affected and black people in particular are four times less likely to have access to a garden. This growing disparity has prompted a rise in the number of community gardens being created across the UK and they are looking fantastic just like Erw Dewi/Dewi’s acre in St. Davids, Pembrokeshire. EcoDewi, a community environmental group focused on the St Davids Peninsula, joined the Crowdfund Wales Programme back in March to raise some much needed cash for their new community garden – Erw Dewi. Jeremy Wadia (Co-founder) approached Localgiving as he had little previous experience of online fundraising but had a clear vision for a disused plot of land by St Davids Cathedral which they had started to cultivate. Working in collaboration with the Cathedral, the group had 3 clear aims to raise money for: building a potting shed, producing a wildlife pond to increase biodiversity and transforming some land with a large laurel bush into a jungle play area for children. All in all some fantastic ideas, but they couldn’t do it without more money in the pot and the time and commitment of local volunteers. The target that EcoDewi set was £2000 hoping that they would raise £1750 independently and then unlock their matchfunding grant of £250 along the way. After joining the programme, the first thing they did was talk through how it would all work and make sure that there was time and resource in place to promote the appeal. The page had to stand out from the competition and really connect with the community. Jeremy decided to produce a short video to add to the appeal page, describing the work that needed to be done and specifically what the money raised would go towards. The next thing we discussed was how to make the best use of both personal and professional networks to promote the campaign and to reach out to donors. Jeremy decided that a longer running time would work better to allow for some events that were taking place where he could actively promote the project and where there was already buy-in. They smashed their target and the appeal is now closed but it has moved across to a project page so that they can continue to keep their generous donors up to date with news about the garden and they can also upload new photos to show how things are progressing. Along the way, EcoDewi was awarded a Magic Little Grant, distributed by Localgiving and funded by the players of People’s Postcode Lottery but it was decided early on that this money would not specifically go towards the garden but would encourage people to take part in additional activities to further enhance biodiversity in the area. The cause chosen was their Mini Meadows project which aims to encourage local residents and organisations to reduce grass mowing regimes and allow areas to grow and develop into small wildflower meadows. As part of this project, EcoDewi gives participants a recycled wooden blue heart, inspired by the Blue Campaign’s effort to re-wild Britain’s gardens. The Magic Little Grant covered the marketing and materials needed to get this off the ground across the St. Davids Peninsula. So far so good for EcoDewi, having raised a total of £3,438 and now promoting regular donations to ensure their work is funded into the future. To find out more about the Crowdfund Wales Programme, click here.          

Thanks to generous funding from the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, Localgiving has been running a Regional Development Programme in the North West of England which has been supporting local charities who are engaged in projects which benefit the environment, or help people to engage with the natural world. Eligible charities have received a free membership to Localgiving, ongoing one-to-one support in their online fundraising activities, and up to £500 of the money they raise online is matched through funding provided by the People’s Postcode Lottery and their players. This #GivingTuesday (Tuesday 29th November) we’re highlighting some of the fantastic projects and charities who have benefited from the generosity of the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, without whom none of the below would have been possible. Ruth Hannah, Gorgeous Gorse Hill Gorgeous Gorse Hill is a small community group in Greater Manchester. We’re made up of local residents, who got together to improve our local area through the use of art, planting and flowers. We believe that positive changes to a local area can benefit the health and wellbeing of local people, by making residents feel more connected to their area, more empowered, and that by making positive changes, we can help reduce negative behaviour. Being able to fundraise online, and the match funding that’s been available, have been very useful for our group, and has helped in a number of ways. It’s freed up time for volunteers who would usually try to raise funds through completing grant applications, which can be time consuming, and it has also freed up our use of funds, as a lot of grant applications won't allow charities to funds for core costs, which for us is vital i.e. insurance, or the cost of shed rental. Even hot drinks on a cold winter day during a full day of planting can sometimes not be covered. With our unrestricted income from Localgiving and matched funds from the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, we no longer need to worry as much about covering these costs. This has allowed us to focus on what we really want to focus on – making Gorse Hill Gorgeous! The wider support offered from Localgiving has been great. Joe’s suggestions about ways to fundraise have opened our eyes and the amount we have raised and then had match funded has been incredible. Anita Morris, Hack Back Hack Back CIC is a small social enterprise that aims to improve the mental health and well-being of people of all ages throughout the North West. What makes us different is that we combine psychological therapies with interaction and engagement with nature, and specifically with Birds of Prey.  Taking part in the programme has enabled us to raise funds by reaching a much wider audience. We have been able to use social media to inform people about our fundraising and the ease of the process has meant that we have been successful in raising funds. In addition supporters were able to set up their own fundraising page to personalise their support for Hack Back. We have learned that it is important to get your message across succinctly through social media and that it must be easy for people to donate, which was achieved through Localgiving.  The funding, both from our donors and then matched by the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, has made a massive difference to us. We have been able to deliver one to one sessions in the home of a child with autism, we have visited a terminally ill lady in her own home, we have been able to visit a young boy with a rare form of bone cancer several times and we have been able to deliver an anti-bullying project in a local school. Without this funding all of this would have been very difficult to achieve, and the real difference the funding from players of the People’s Postcode Lottery has made is that it has enabled us to deliver projects and services we may have had to decline previously, even though there is a clear need.  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These are just two examples among many of the fantastic work done by local charities which the generosity of the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery has helped. This #GivingTuesday, we thought it would be a good time to look back, and to reflect on the real difference this support has helped to make, and to also take the time to say thank you as well. So this one goes out to all the players (of the People’s Postcode Lottery) out there – THANKS! There’s still opportunities to get involved in this programme, so if you are or know of a charity who could benefit, please do look here for further information.   

  Cleveland Pools is the only surviving Georgian Swimming Pool in the UK. Sadly the pools have been closed for swimming for over quarter of a century. However there is now an appeal being run through Localgiving to rejuvenate and reopen this forgotten landmark. This appeal, led by local resident Suzy Granger, has really caught the imagination of the local community.  On the week commencing 6th February, 8 local swim schools and approximately 700 children will be participating in a swimathon to raise money for the campaign. We spoke to Suzy in advance of the big swim to find out what inspired the campaign, what makes Cleveland Pools so important and how supporters can get involved with the campaign. What makes Cleveland Pools special and how will this campaign benefit the local community? “The Cleveland Pools is the only surviving Georgian swimming pool in the UK. Closed for swimming in 1984, a trust was formed in 2005 by local campaigners to save the 200 year old site with it crescent-shaped cottage and changing cubicles.  Situated on the banks of the river Avon it is a peaceful and beautiful location to enjoy an outdoor swimming experience.  It will be the only public outdoor swimming pool in Bath so will be a great asset to the local community in the summer months, especially as it will be naturally heated and treated for the first time in its history. Outdoor swimming has had a revival in recent years and it will be a great opportunity for Bath to have such an offering for its local community.” Tell us about the challenge? “I thought it would be great to get the swimming community in Bath involved in raising money for Cleveland Pools.  I have organised sponsored swims before at my swim school, Bath School of Swimming.  However I have never organised a sponsored swim of this scale with so many swim schools involved.  To my knowledge this is the first time the whole swimming community in Bath have come together to raise money collectively.” What are you enjoying and looking forward to about running this appeal? “Lots of people have heard about the Cleveland Pools but don’t know where they are in Bath and know little of their history.  This is an opportunity to raise awareness of the pools with the swimming community.  I am also looking forward to witnessing the swimming community coming together and collectively raising money for such a great cause.” How can people get involved with the appeal? If you would like to make a donation to support the Swimathon then please go here. If any local companies want to match fund what the swimmers raise we would be really grateful and they should get in touch with suzy@clevelandpools.org.uk. Likewise get in touch with Suzy if you would like your swim school to take part.  Found this blog post useful? You may also like:    Local Charity and Community Group Sustainability Report 2016 3 Top Tips On Creating Great Social Media Content For Charities Big Strong Heart: Tips for your Charity Challenge