Over the last six months we have distributed more than £80,000 through our Supporting the Supporters programme. This funding went to charitable organisations to support the wellbeing of staff, volunteers, and trustees.
We designed the Supporting the Supporters grants programme in partnership with the Sedel-Collings Foundation as a direct response to what we were hearing from grantees about the pressure faced by those working on the frontline.
This was reflected in a report released in 2019 by a collective of funders, which examined the resilience of people in community-facing organisations and found that: “Increased demand and complexity, feeling out of your depth or that you can’t respond appropriately to people who are in distress, can result in anxiety and depression, burnout, and even secondary trauma amongst staff.”
By focusing on the wellbeing of the individuals within these organisations, the Supporting the Supporters grants also aim to strengthen the overall health and resilience of the organisations themselves, helping them to fulfil their charitable missions better.
Through our Supporting the Supporters fund we have awarded 24 small grants of up to £5000 since September 2024. Organisations funded include:
We have worked with the Sedel-Collings Foundation since 2022 to design and distribute these grants. Each year, we review how these grants have improved the well-being of their staff and volunteers to help inform how we can best support organisations and foster resilience within the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector.
We hope to make further Supporting the Supporters funding available through our small grants application process when it reopens later this year. Keep an eye on our newsletter and grants page for updates.
Charity No: 1057923 A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales. Company no: 03236918
