Colleagues report any savings they’ve made, for example reducing company printing costs. It all adds up and then these savings are then calculated and spent on things for good.
Andrew Cooke, Director of Resources
Community Grants
5th October, 2020
vbolton
Community
At Connexus, any savings we make are re-invested back into our customer's homes and communities.
Last year we donated over £40,000 worth of grants to local community projects. Projects from across Herefordshire and Shropshire applied to our Community Development Fund (CDF) for grants of up to £5,000 each.
Connexus is not-for-profit, and the CDF is us actively reinvesting in, supporting, and engaging with the communities we serve. Last year our colleagues recorded extra savings on everything from car-sharing to heating and electrical bills. Delivering our services as efficiently and effectively as possible means we can invest money into what really matters.
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Case Study #1 - Food bank donations
The projects supported by the Community Development Fund (CDF) in more normal times tend to be community groups doing anything from rejuvenating outdoor spaces to running skills development programmes. Early in the lockdown, we used CDF grants to help support the food banks that have become even more vital to many during the Coronavirus pandemic.
We donated a total of £2,700 to 18 local food banks across Shropshire and Herefordshire. This follows a previous grant of £2,700 to Ludlow Food Bank to improve their storage facilities.
“We’ve seen a big increase in demand here at the foodbank and our figures show that we've been busier than any previous year. The support from Connexus and the whole community has meant that this year we've been able to support an incredible 538 individuals of all age groups.” – Gemma Williams, Ludlow Food Bank.
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Case Study #2 - Shawbury Football Club
With fewer leisure activities available to all of us under Coronavirus restrictions, and with many of us feeling a rejuvenated focus on health, the CDF has been proud to support local sports teams for kids and adults.
Shawbury FC has just started their junior football training sessions (while following COVID-19 guidelines) and successfully applied for a CDF grant of £2544.90 for new kit to see them through the upcoming season. Besides the obvious benefits to youngsters' health, these junior football sessions will be a stress reliever for parents.
“Our Junior teams were so excited to receive their new kit! These footballs sessions are helping kids and parents alike during these unprecedented times.” – Sean Evans, Coach, Shawbury FC.