Information on Time 4 Change - Our Fundraising Strategy
Last updated: 15th Feb, 2008
Raising the money for a landmark building will be a major area of work for us in mosaic and the issue of funding will be a constant feature of articles in mosaic news. There are two sources of money.
Firstly, there are the big grants we can apply for from places like the Big Lottery and other grant-making trusts. We are working with someone very experienced in applying for funding to help us. He will be working on a no funding, no fee basis which means we have nothing to lose.
We cannot, and do not want to put all our hopes on big grants. No grant making organisation will give us all the money we need – they expect us to be able to raise money ourselves. The more money we raise, the more support we can demonstrate for the project. With this in mind, we launched Time 4 Change at the Annual General Meeting. The development of the Watermead Centre is probably the final strand in the ‘Radical Transformation’ that mosaic embarked upon in 1999. Watermead Centre symbolises mosaic’s recognition that it is Time 4 Change – our fundraising strategy.
mosaic has opened a separate bank account for Time 4 Change (cheques should be made payable to mosaic: shaping disability services (T4C)). Bank of Scotland is sponsoring Time 4 Change by exempting this account from any bank charges. Usually a business account is charged to pay money in and withdraw money; this account won’t attract any charges but it will pay interest. We want to encourage disabled people and their families, mosaic’s supporters, groups, small businesses, community-based organisations, local residents, Watermead Country Park lovers etc to become involved in raising funds. We want this to be fundraising at no extra cost. We have set a target of £50,000 over two years.
So how can people help?
Time 4 Change started as an idea by David Allan, a Trustee who regularly empties his pockets of all that heavy loose change which many people find it irksome to carry around e.g. 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and 20p (or even bigger if you want). David saves the coins in plastic money bags from the Bank. This is what we want as many people as possible to do. We can supply you with coin bags (courtesy of Bank of Scotland). You can hand the money in as frequently as you want. We don’t even ask you to count it. if you have difficulty in delivering it to Richard III Road, let Barbara Howard know and we can collect it.
Better still would be if you collected money but also asked 5 friends to join you in collecting for Watermead Centre. You could act as a ‘collecting point’.
We hope that a number of people would arrange fundraising events amongst their own community e.g. coffee morning, car boot sale, stall at a fete, sponsored walk. The ideas are endless. We already have had offers for a sponsored cycle ride next Easter and a sponsored walk along the South West Coastal path. A group of Direct Payment Participants are keen to hold an art exhibition. If anyone is organising anything if you give us enough warning you can have some publicity in mosaic news. Similarly if your group wants some publicity for making a donation we can arrange a “handing over” ceremony (with photos) to be put in mosaic news.
If you know of a group, a pub, staff team etc looking for a project to raise funds for – just put forward mosaic’s Watermead Centre. We can provide written and photographic information. The White Hart of Quorn has already raised £220 and the Leicestershire Disabled Support Group has donated £1000.
We have a system in place now we need your money!! If you would like to know more please call Barbara Howard, Director on 0116 251 5565 or email Barbara here