Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands has achieved the significant grant-giving milestone of £20 million since being established 35 years ago. The Foundation has worked in partnership with charities of all sizes who help disadvantaged people play a fuller role in the community.
On average, LBFCI supports 30 charities per year across the Channel Islands with grants ranging from £2,000 to £100,000. Many charities have flourished thanks to the support provided by LBFCI and continue to provide vital services to some of islands’ most vulnerable.
Katie Le Quesne, Chair of Lloyds Bank Foundation for the Channel Islands said: “Each year we support incredible organisations of all sizes who help those who face challenge and disadvantage across the Channel Islands. We have achieved so much over 35 years, not just through the £20 million of funding but also through our partnership with Lloyds Bank colleagues sharing their time and expertise, and by strengthening relationships with other charitable funders and with governments.
“We have also adapted how we operate as an organisation. Instead of simply responding to grant applications, we have learnt to take a more proactive approach, to listen and look for opportunities to support the charitable sector. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the generous support of our sole funder, Lloyds Banking Group”.
The £20 million funding has helped support and strengthen charities who help tackle complex social issues such as domestic abuse, mental health and employability in the islands’ communities. Those who have been supported with funding from LBFCI include Guernsey Mind, who have received a total of £188,468. LBFCI awarded Guernsey Mind their very first grant back in 2010 which covered the cost of the charity’s first employee. This initial funding helped establish the charity and services supporting mental health within the community. In 2018, LBFCI approached Guernsey Mind to address the need for mental health support in Alderney and the support required to best fill this gap.
Commenting on the support, Executive Director, Emily Litten, said: “One of the differences between Lloyds Bank Foundation and other funding bodies is that they are prepared to invest in salaried charity professionals. Back in 2010 in particular, it was difficult to identify funding for staff costs and, when we received the grant, it meant we could kick start our model of supporting mental health within the community. Lloyds Bank Foundation commit to progressing the entire structure of a charity and of the third sector which enables us to create a wide client base, to learn and grow, and to deliver more and more services.
“Our work together in Alderney is a perfect example, they were proactive and identified a need for more mental health services in Alderney, approaching us to see if they could fund our work there. Our work with the Foundation always feels like a partnership and is something we are grateful to be part of”.
Safer, a charity supporting islanders in Guernsey who have experienced domestic abuse, has received a total of 14 LBFCI totalling £530,831 over the last 20 years. This includes funding for three members of staff which has allowed the charity to grow in order to meet the increasing demands for their services.
Commenting on the support from LBFCI, Fiona Naftel, Chair of Safer, said: “Safer are so grateful for the support Lloyds Bank Foundation has given us over the years. Without it, we would not have been able to grow our vital service. On an annual basis, we have to secure more than 50% of funding from sponsorship or other funding sources. The support we have received from Lloyds Bank Foundation is the difference between supporting all victims of domestic abuse and their families who contact us, or having to prioritise cases because we don’t have the necessary resources. With the increase in people contacting us up by 30% over the last few months, the ongoing support is vital. For Safer, Lloyds Bank Foundation has been a life saver”.
CLIP (Creative Learning in Prison), the Guernsey charity who supports the rehabilitation of prisoners through the provision of a wide range of education and learning opportunities, have received £55,000 in funding since 2013. The funding has equipped prisoners in Guernsey with carpentry, construction and other employability skills to help them find work after prison and reduce reoffending.
Iain Stokes, Chair of CLIP, comments: “Without Lloyds Bank Foundation’s initial grant of £25,000 in 2013, CLIP would have not existed beyond the idea our Founder, Andrew Ozanne had. LBFCI put its trust in the concept and provided the financial platform for CLIP to develop its ideas to provide activities that would benefit prisoners, help work towards reducing re-offending and enable prisoners ‘to give something back’ to the community, whilst achieving financial sustainability. Without the initial and ongoing support of LBFCI, CLIP would not be the vibrant charity it is today working for the benefit of prisoner and our community”.
Community Savings in Jersey provides practical help and support to financially or socially disadvantaged Islanders who are unable to access mainstream banking and have been awarded £74,605 in grants from the Foundation since 2012.
Brian Curtis, Community Savings Executive Chairman said: “The Lloyds Bank Foundation is one of the few funding bodies who are prepared to support operating costs and salaries. We rely on fundraising, grants and donations to cover our running costs and so the Foundation’s financial support has been invaluable in helping us maintain, and develop, our range of services. They also funded the salary of our Loans Administrator, a role which has since grown to encompass new account openings, loans and emergency funding, and the delivery of our community programme. We would not have had the ability to continue to develop this role without the guarantee of funding from the Foundation”.
Brighter Futures, the Jersey based charity which supports parents, families and young people on the island, have received a total of £440,539 over the past 12 years. Commenting on the impact LBFCI’s support has had on the charity, Sharon Betts, Brighter Futures Community Engagement Officer, said: “Lloyds Bank Foundation has provided a range of vital funding that has enabled Brighter Futures to support families, our Growing Together groups and Key Worker costs, which we are extremely grateful for.
“The Foundation plays a significant role in making a difference to the many families that Brighter Futures support; in turn creating a fairer society for everyone. We can only provide our services by working alongside Community Partners such as Lloyds Bank Foundation who share in our vision to help Brighter Futures make Jersey a better place”.
