Bedford Charities Forum - Celebrating Small Charities in Bedford
In recent years Bedford has been known for its generosity, supporting charities across the town to the tune of millions of pounds. Many of these charities would be unable to support service users without your support. With this in mind, Bedford Charities Forum has been established to highlight and share crucial work across the town, as well as support partnership working amongst those involved.
Bedford Charities Forum is a new collaboration which brings together charities and agencies of all shapes and sizes from Bedford Borough to:
share positive stories and news
create an environment to share good practice and
generate opportunities for partnership working.
Bedford Borough has approximately 1000 registered charities and community groups which provide resources and support, and often fill the gap that government and local authority cuts have created.
The charities make the borough a more supportive place to live by providing support around food poverty, housing and debt advice, disability, the elderly, medical needs, children and young people.
The forum is hosted by Bedford Blues Foundation. Head Tom Harwood said: “We understand the daily challenges that being a small charity brings. Coming together as the Bedford Charities Forum allows us to not only share resources and experience, but also shout more loudly about all we are doing to help our community. During Small Charities Week we will be celebrating local organisations, their staff and volunteers, which can be a lifeline for those they support.”
Here’s just a few examples of local charities with annual incomes of under £1m that punch way above their financial weight.
Bedford Foodbank helped to feed around 2,000 people a month, of which over a third are children. “The foodbank was there when we really needed it, it was an absolute lifeline.”
Fun 4 Young People support young people and families via a host of activities and groups. A 16-year-old who has been supported by the charity for more than half her life said: “I have come to F4YP since I was about seven-years-old. I’ve established a deep bond with the tutors and the people here. They have made a home outside of home and a community where I’ve grown to become who I am now. They have truly elevated my life and given me some of my happiest moments. Thank You F4YP.”
Last year Link To Change ran 73 groups sessions, provided over 900 one-to-one sessions and welcomed 122 new beneficiaries to their service supporting highly vulnerable and at-risk groups of young people. "Link to Change has been life-changing. They had my back when I was struggling, and their support helped me get my life together and exit my exploitation."
The Harpur Trust is one of Bedford Borough’s lead charitable trusts which provides more than £1m in grant funding to local organisations each year to improve people’s lives. “The vast majority of our grants go to small local charities” said Grants Officer Keith Johnson. “We are proud to work with these charities that are rooted in the community and make a significant difference to the lives of so many people in Bedford Borough”.
Bedford Charities Forum will use the inspiring stories from across partner charities, as well as their impact, to celebrate and highlight the work taking place across our town.
Why not help support a small local charity that’s close to your heart during Small Charities Week with fundraising or volunteering? A full list can be found at www.cvsbeds.org.uk.