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20 May 2013

Localgiving.com

Register your voluntary group  on Localgiving.com so you can receive on-line donations
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20 May 2013

Santander Social Enterprise Awards scheme reopens Monday 3rd June

The scheme supports social businesses that aim to improve their local community through social and environment outcomes.
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19 May 2013

Santander opens 3rd June

The Santander Social Enterprise Development Awards (SEDA) open for applications on Monday 3rd June and will be open until Monday 1st July - for further information and how to apply visit the Santander page on our website.
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17 May 2013

Welcome

It is good to be able to report that Quartet Community Foundation achieved its March 2013 budget (subject to audit) and we met both our year specific Community First Endowment Challenge and our Microloan Fund challenge. Both targets were met against a backcloth of very difficult local and national financial circumstances and I thank staff and trustees alike for their work to bring this result home. We have in David Sheepshanks CBE a new Chair of the UK Community Foundations.  David has been Chair of the Suffolk Foundation and has led the creation of the FA National Football Centre at St Georges Staffordshire. His commitment and energy should serve the Community Foundation movement well. The programme for the National Conference of Community Foundations is progressing well. The conference will be held at the Wills Memorial Building between September 18thand 20th and the keynote speakers include Sir Tim Smit KBE, Camila Batmanghelidjh CBE and John Bird MBE. Stephen Parsons Chair
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17 May 2013

BYCA Summer grants round is now open

The Bristol Youth & Community Action Summer grants round is now open for applications. The closing date is Friday 14th June 2013. If you would like to apply please read the guidelines and download and complete an application form by visiting the BYCA page
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17 May 2013

Raj K Soni Legacy Fund - Longest Swim

Something a little bit special is happening on Midsummer’s Day this year.  Portishead Open Air Swimming Pool is hosting the Longest Swim On The Longest Day to raise money for the Raj K Soni Legacy Fund (www.rajksoni.org.uk).  This Fund has been set up in memory of eighteen-year old Raj Soni who died tragically last summer in a cycling accident. This is a charity swim for all ages, shapes and sizes, although as a finale, some ex-Olympians will be pitted against each other in relays to see who can do the most lengths in 30 minutes.  Running from 7 am to 8 pm the swim will attract hundreds of swimmers and will be followed by a well deserved hog roast and barbecue. Anyone can take part and all the funds raised will be used to provide musical and sporting opportunities for young people. Visit the website link for more details about this event and for more information about the Fund             www.rajksoni.org.uk/page8.html  
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17 May 2013

10th Anniversary Celebration

By kind invitation of Sir David and Lady Wills the Ambassadors will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary on 13th June, 6.30pm - 9pm at Langford Court.  Drinks and canapés will be served.  If you would like to find out more about the Ambassadors or buy a ticket for the party please contact maria.dunn@quartetcf.org.uk or phone 0117 989 7700.  Tickets cost £15.00 each.
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17 May 2013

Helping to learn new life skills

We recently received a report back on the use of an Express Grant awarded to the Bedminster Residents Association to fund 25 cookery sessions for homeless individuals based in hostels in the Bedminster area of Bristol. Residents from the hostels learnt how to make simple nutritional meals on a small budget and also learnt the importance of food hygiene. The 4th lesson on every course has been to cook a ‘house meal’ where the attendees on the course cook a simple meal for all the residents in the hostel. This has encouraged a sense of community as well as publicising the cooking lessons to other residents. The project has been very popular and has covered three hostels throughout Bristol, with plans to expand to a fourth. The immediate impact on the atmosphere at the hostels has been noticeable. On one occasion an on-going feud was put aside to allow both residents involved to attend the cooking lessons.
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17 May 2013

2nd year of Community First Endowment Challenge met

Thanks to the generosity of local individuals and companies, we have been able to draw down the maximum amount of Government matched funding available for the year.  Income from these endowment donations will be available to respond to the needs of our local communities now and in the future. The Challenge, which adds 50% to any endowment donations made, has a further 2 years to run and provides the perfect opportunity to add to, or create, a charitable fund within Quartet Community Foundation.  Please contact Ronnie.brown@quartetcf.org.uk if you would like to discuss this in more detail.
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17 May 2013

UK Community Foundations Appoints New Chair

UKCF recently announced the appointment of David Sheepshanks CBE as Chair, succeeding Matthew Bowcock who has retired after six years. David has held a number of high profile Board positions in business, sport and charity including Chairman of Ipswich Town Football Club; Chairman of the Football League, Chair of the newly opened St George's Park (The National Football Centre) and FA Learning.  He is Regional Chairman of Coutts in Suffolk and Norfolk; he was the Founder and first Chair of The Ipswich Town Charitable Trust and one of the founding Trustees for The Suffolk Community Foundation which he has chaired since 2005.  He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in 2004 by University of East Anglia for services to the community and made CBE in the last New Year's Honours List for  services to Football and Suffolk Charity. To read  the full press release follow this link
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17 May 2013

UK Community Foundations Conference

Plans are well underway for our biennial conference for 300 colleagues, trustees and donors from across the UK and internationally which we are hosting here in Bristol from 18-20 September. Delegates will hear from an array of speakers who have all made change happen in their community. Confirmed speakers include Sir Tim Smit, Eden project, Camila Batmanghelidjh, Kids Company and John Bird founder of The Big Issue. Please contact Caroline.duckworth@quartetcf.org.uk if you would like more information
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17 May 2013

Microloan Fund

Our fund is up and running.  We have made 3 loans totalling £18,600. This has meant we have supported 3 businesses to start up or expand.  Helping individuals to help themselves which in turn raises self esteem, strengthens our communities as well as improving the economy. There are several ways to get involved: - become a mentor supporting an individual either starting or expanding their business - apply for a loan if you have a great idea, a viable business plan and can show that the bank have turned your funding request down - add money to our fund. We still need more money to secure a 60% uplift on all donations  If you would like more information please contact Caroline.duckworth@quartetcf.org.uk
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17 May 2013

Bristol Youth & Community Action

The Bristol Youth & Community Action Summer grants round is now open for applications.  The closing date is Friday 14th June 2013. If you would like to apply please download and complete an application form by visiting the BYCA page.
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07 May 2013

Fashion styling by our Ambassadors

In March Quartet Ambassadors went on an exclusive visit to the area's newest youth community, social enterprise and performance venue - The Station.  Ambassadors enjoyed a tour of the building, met the projects and some of the young people and even had a go at some fashion styling! Ambassadors ended their visit with lunch at The Kitchen,  the Station's cafe.  The Kitchen is a social enterprise run by Bristol YMCA offering excellent locally sourced food.  The Kitchen exists to offer volunteering, training and employment opportunities to young people who have faced real difficulties in life.
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07 May 2013

The Whitewood Family Fund

This fund has been set up to support the development of disadvantaged young people through sport and other activities and is dedicated to the memory of Arthur Whitewood (16 July 1923 - 29 July 2013) for further information about Arthur follow this link. The fund will be part of the Express Programme, for further information on applying for grants please go to the grants section on our website.
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07 May 2013

Surviving Winter draws to a close for this year

The Surviving Winter Appeal has had another excellent year raising £45,630 from 92 donors to help older and vulnerable people out of fuel poverty. Over 58,000 households suffer from fuel poverty across the West of England many facing the stark choice of fuel or food. Working in partnership with Knightstone Housing who matched pound for pound funds raised up to £5,000 to support their tenants in the West of England, and with partner agencies Age UK and the Citizens Advice Bureau the appeal has been twofold: to support those in immediate crisis by providing financial help with fuel bills as well as finding sustainable solutions by offering advice and support with changing energy suppliers, installing loft and cavity wall insulation as well as simple energy saving measures so older people do not find themselves in the same crisis situation next year. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to our appeal this year. We couldn’t have achieved what we have without your help Surviving Winter will run again next winter launching in November 2013.
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Community First example

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Forthcoming Event -Tuesday 27 November 2012

The Philanthropy Fellowship South West Through events, seminars, forums and community visits Fellows can share, learn and experience how to be effective, lifetime philanthropists able to achieve measurable results and impact from their giving. Our next event is on Tuesday 27 November 2012, 1pm – 4pm  at The Arch Cafe.  Fellows will have  the opportunity to hear from Lisa White of the Verdon-Smith Family Charitable Trust and Dr Beth Breeze from the University of Kent on how donors make their giving decisions. If you would like to learn more about the Fellowship or attend please contact Maria Dunn on maria.dunn@quartetcf.org.uk or 0117 9897700.
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Coventry Building Society Charitable Foundation Fund

Welcome to the Quartet Community Foundation website. To apply for a grant from the Coventry Building Society Charitable Foundation Fund you will need to complete our general Express Grants Programme application form. Please follow the link below to complete an application online or download a printable version to complete by hand. Please write in the application that you are applying for a grant from this fund. Express Grant Programme
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Welcome to our summer enews

Having joined Quartet Community Foundation just four months ago I am astonished and delighted that we have so much going on to tell you about.  We continue to look for ways to support need in our community and the development of our micro finance scheme is an important new initiative.  Please get in touch and let us know of ways that we can help and support you whether you are a donor or a recipient of a grant. We hope you enjoy reading this, best wishes Caroline Duckworth, CEO
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A glimpse of the groups supported by Quartet Community Foundation

We are delighted to showcase this short film made for us by Artsmedia students at Bath University and funded by the Norie Tust.  We hope you enjoy watching....
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Welcome to ...

Miriam Tait who joins the Donor Services team as Donor Services Administrator two days per week, Miriam has a background in finance and administration having worked as a School Business Manager for many years, and Tara Evans who is on an 8 week internship from UWE,  Tara is currently studying English and Philosophy and will be starting her third and final year this September.
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Microloans

Quartet Community Foundation together with Fredericks Foundation are delighted to launch a new microloan fund for people who are starting or expanding businesses but unable to get a bank loan.
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The Philanthropy Fellowship South West

Is part of a new UK network of community philanthropists set up to inspire a greater culture of giving.  Our vision is to bring together and support donors who want to connect with their communities to help some of the most pressing social problems by giving their skills, time and financial resources.  Click here to find out how to get involved .
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The latest fashion in Ambassador’s attire!

Ambassadors enjoyed their exclusive tour of Marshfield Bakery, followed by lunch at the Crown Inn, Dyrham this month. All donned the required shoes, hats and coats so that they could watch the mouth watering flapjacks being made. To find out more about the Ambassadors and details of how to join visit the Ambassadors section on our website.
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GRANTS AVAILABLE

R W Barnes Bursary Fund has been set up to offer financial assistance to undergraduate students studying Engineering, Maths or Physics, at certain UK Universities, closing date for applications 3 August 2012, to find out more... Community Games is a great opportunity for you to bring your community together to take part in sporting and cultural activities inspired by, and in celebration of, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can apply for up to £500 with grants restricted to one per group. Apply now – there is no closing date for applications and decisions will be announced within 4 weeks. For further information and an application form click here For information on other grant programmes available including our own Express Programme click here
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Success for Surviving Winter campaign

Community Foundations have been recognised for the Surviving Winter Campaign at the 2012 Charity Awards which took place on 15 June in London.  The award for outstanding funding and grant making campaigns in the sector was recieved by Jane Rawnsley (CFN) and Justin Sargent (Somerset Community Foundation) on behalf of all Community Foundations and the Community Foundation Network.  To read more....  Quartet Community Foundation will be running the appeal for 2013 - further information will follow later in the year .
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North Somerset Show

Quartet Community Foundation enjoyed a very muddy North Somerset Show early in May. From left to right: Caroline Duckworth, CEO and Jane Moss, Trustee of Quartet Community Foundation discussing farming matters!
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Celebrating at Chambers!

Over 60 guests from the legal community joined together in celebration of Quartet Community Foundation's 25th Anniversary year, kindly hosted by St John's Chambers in Bristol.  For some it was the first time they had had the opportunity to hear about our work and they were able to meet others who have established charitable funds with us.  Thank you to St John's Chambers, Wesleyan for Lawyers and Irwin Mitchell Solicitors for making this event possible.
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Putting the Fun in Philanthropy

Thank you to Clifton College for hosting our annual Philanthropy event, whereby 180 guests joined trustees and staff for a thought provoking and entertaining evening with Tom Hughes-Hallett read more
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Youth In Transition

A number of our fund holders recently saw at first hand how their funding has been used. The Youth in Transition programme supports vulnerable young people when they move from primary to secondary schools. Working with schools in South and East Bristol the fund holders went to Merchant Academy in Hartcliffe and met some of the 94 pupils currently being supported by the programme. The group they met are working with Creative Youth Networks which uses creative arts as a way of building confidence, skills and support as they make the transition from primary to secondary schools. Other pupils are being offered 1 on 1 mentoring, problem solving and teambuilding all of which helps these vulnerable young people at what, for many, is a particularly difficult time. Quartet Community Foundation has led this initiative, now in its second year. For more information please contact Mel Lavin on 07974 172371 or mel.lavin@quartetcf.org.uk
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