The Friends joined Localgiving in January 2017 and have gone on to raise an incredible £2,500. These funds, including gift aid and match funding, have enabled the Friends to implement a regular mowing contract, purchase equipment such as scythes, manage areas of the riverside that have been set aside for their ecological value, and cover the costs of the Volunteers Third Party Liability insurance. They have also benefited from a Magic Little Grant which they are putting towards a professional survey of the footpath route to identify where best to focus their future work.
Peter believes that being a Localgiving member has given the organisation an air of professionalism and helped instill trust and confidence among their donors.
“(Localgiving) gives donors the ability to submit their personal data with confidence. The ability to claim gift aid is also a major benefit along with being able to build a pool of direct debit donors. This has been a very important outcome for the Friends in that it has removed the time consuming task of having to find new donors each year. The Friends now have credibility and an excellent track record for raising funds and spending the money wisely. This has proved highly beneficial when applying for additional funding”.
