Localgiving’s long standing work with National Grid has been recognised at the Charity Times Awards 2024, taking home a trophy for their support of Roshni Birmingham.

The Corporate Community Local Involvement award was given for their collaboration in supporting Roshni Birmingham through the Winter of 2023/4 with a grant from National Grid’s Community Matters Fund (Fuel Poverty Plus).

Since its launch in 2021, the Community Matters Fund has awarded £10.5 million to grassroots organisations across the Midlands, South-West and South Wales. The award to Roshni Birmingham was part of a round of funding made available to tackle fuel poverty in the communities that National Grid Electricity Distribution serves. 

Ellie Patey, Community Engagement Manager, National Grid ( @gridcustomersuk ) on winning the award: “We are over the moon to have won a Charity Times Award, particularly given the very high calibre of projects in our category and across the night as a whole – it was a privilege to be among such wonderful causes and organisations. The team at Roshni Birmingham provide people in their community with a beacon of hope in the most difficult of times, and we are incredibly proud of the support we’ve been able to provide Roshni and hundreds of other amazing charities through our Community Matters Fund. Tackling major challenges like fuel poverty is a collective effort, so I’m extremely grateful to our partner Localgiving for their continued hard work, insight and energy in making the Community Matters Fund the success that it is.”  

Roshni Birmingham is a fantastic charity supporting black & minoritised communities affected by domestic abuse including forced marriage and honour based abuse. The ongoing cost of living crisis, the lack of council housing, government cuts and the long impact of Covid-19 all mean that Roshni Birmingham are facing more challenges than ever before. In short, domestic abuse services are over stretched and under resourced.

In the Winter of 2023, Roshni Birmingham ( @RoshniBham )  received a £10,000 (Fuel Poverty Plus) grant from National Grid Electricity Distribution. With this funding, the Roshni team bought thick new curtains for 13 rooms in their refuge, retaining heat better, cutting already high energy bills and making the space brighter and more welcoming as well as warmer and cosier. In addition to the curtains, the fund also paid for a new duvet and fleece for every resident on arrival. Together, these items not only provide warmth and comfort but help alleviate the financial burden of equipping new accommodation.

Speaking after the ceremony Surwat Sohail, ​Chief Executive Officer and Shaila Pervez, Manager of Roshni Birmingham told us: “We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award. This recognition is a testament to our dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in our community. Please join us in celebrating this incredible achievement and together, we can continue to make a difference. We extend our sincere thanks to Localgiving and National Grid for nominating us. Your support and belief in our mission inspire us to work even harder. This recognition motivates us to continue making a positive impact in our community. Thank you once again for your invaluable support!“

The grant was promoted, managed, and distributed by Localgiving who, since 2012, has connected grassroots organisations with donations, fundraising and grants plus resources and support, helping thousands of UK community groups do amazing things every day. With a focus on bringing digital solutions to even the smallest of groups, they have this Summer rolled out a new AI tool, to further support fundraising and supercharge grant applications.

Andrei Yusfin, CEO Localgiving added: “All the team here are absolutely delighted to have had our work with Roshni Birmingham and National Grid recognised by the Charity Times Awards. At our heart is supporting groups rooted in communities and Roshni Birmingham does truly amazing work in aiding people and families in some of the most challenging circumstances possible. And big impacts can’t happen without real partnerships, and that’s what we have built with National Grid through the Community Matters Fund. We are incredibly proud of our work together. It was an inspirational night and a real privilege to see our work spotlighted among so many other wonderful campaigns and causes. We are excited to keep supporting more amazing groups like Roshni in the coming year!”

The Charity Times Awards ( @CharityTimes ) celebrates best practice in the UK charity and not-for-profit sector, with the winners announced on 25 September 2024 at the Awards Gala dinner in London.

---> Read more about Roshni Birmingham's work here and if you wish to speak to the Localgiving team about working with us, or for more information on our grant partnerships, click here.