articleindex followLaunch of #PoweredByPhilanthropy Festivalhttps://www.communityfoundation.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGM2019_GJmr-8265-sm.jpgcenterhttps://www.communityfoundation.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGM2019_GJmr-8265-sm.jpgcentermodule_group modules Array 1 https://www.communityfoundation.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGM2019_GJmr-lib-sm.jpg Rob Huggins, Chief Executive, Liberdade Community Development Trust
On 5 November 2019, the Community Foundation launched #PoweredByPhilanthropy 2019, three days celebrating and debating the role of philanthropy in supporting diversity and inclusion in North East England.
In total, the festival attracted around 300 individuals at five key events, with Directory of Social Change Chief Executive, Debra Allcock Tyler, launching the celebrations at Gosforth Civic Theatre. Watch the speech in full below.
1 Directory of Social Change Chief Executive, Debra Allcock-Tyler’s keynote speech at the launch of #PoweredByPhilanthropy Isb8Yc_OL78 module video 1 https://www.communityfoundation.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGM2019_GJmr-8097-sm.jpg Rainbow Home, one of a number of stalls at the #PoweredByPhilanthropy Community Marketplace
The launch event took place at the home of Liberdade Community Development Trust, a physical theatre company that works with people with learning disabilities and autism in the North East of England. Also, through a community marketplace, guests were able to explore the work of a selection of diverse charities supported by the Community Foundation. This included Curious Arts, Disability North, Gateway into the Community, GemArts, Regional Refugee Forum, Rainbow Home, Samosa Sisters, Young Asian Voices and Young Women’s Outreach Project.
One of the charities, Young Asian Voices from Sunderland, spoke at the event about the importance of philanthropy in helping them to survive and grow. Project coordinator, Ram explains:
1 https://www.communityfoundation.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGM2019_GJmr-8394-sm.jpg Ram, Project coordinator, Young Asian Voices
“Young Asian Voices has been going for 23 years. It started off as a small youth project in Sunderland, and now we have nearly 400 people from all communities accessing our services.
“For us as a charity, sustainability is key, and survival is important. We saw many charities in Sunderland closing one-by-one, and we were worried that a youth project like us, how would we survive?
“However, the Growth and Resilience Fund at the Community Foundation, has helped us to look past survival and now we have a wide variety of youth provision in the city with a dedicated staff team.
“The support from the Community Foundation is vital and we would not be here without this.”
1 https://www.communityfoundation.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AGM2019_GJmr-8401-sm.jpg Fiona Cruickshank, Chair of the Community Foundation
The Community Foundation AGM celebrated the achievements of the Foundation in 2018-19, which saw funding totalling £7.8m through 1,515 grants. The Community Foundation received gifts from donors of £3.4m and annual gifts of £1m, with 9 new funds established in total. For more information about the Community Foundation’s work in 2018-19, read the annual yearbook or management accounts here.
Fiona Cruickshank, Chair of the Community Foundation Board of trustees thanked Sally Young for her service as she stood down this year. In 2019, the Foundation welcomed three new trustees, Claire Malcolm, Jill Baker and Robin Fry.
Community Foundation members voted to abolish membership fees for voluntary sector organisations in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. For more information about membership click here.
Finally, the AGM ended with a performance from Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir, as a teaser to the Evening of Diverse Arts and Culture. You can watch the full evening of diverse arts and culture below:
1 A diverse evening of arts and culture at #PoweredByPhilanthropy 2019 A diverse evening of arts and culture at #PoweredByPhilanthropy 2019 lAXzL2Ur3x0 Featuring Voices of Virtue Gospel Choir, Bordello Theatre, Liberdade Community Development Trust, Curious Monkey, and Brundibár Arts Festival module video