Aviva Community Fund is providing live match funding
Total raised £6,239
£20,000 target
71 days left
31%
65 supporters
Flexible funding – this project will receive all pledges made
by
26th March 2025 at 12:47pm
To help the charity continue the vital services by helping the local families with the aid of provision of food, white goods, counseling.
by Nick Alderson in Colne, England, United Kingdom
Finalist in the Aviva UK Broker Community Fund 2024
This project has been nominated by West Craven Insurance Services in the Aviva UK Broker Community Fund in 2024.
Colne Open Door Centre | index.html - website
The Open Door Centre aims to give people of mixed abilities/disabilities and disadvantage communities an equal advantage/chance in life with regards jobs, housing, employment and benefits, avoiding social isolation and poverty.
Over the last 12 months there has been a huge increase in food bank referrals, the money will help provide the necessary provisions for families and individuals struggling to make ends meat. They have an onsite cafe that provides free meals for children including breakfast club and highly subsidised meals(£3.50 max) where people can have a warm meal and meet others. The cafe is the hub of the charity and people are encouraged to go and socialise as well as receiving the care they need. The need for these services has more than doubled in numbers from last year, some weeks there can be upwards of 30 food parcels per week going out to the Pendle and Ribble valley area, this shows what a vital job they are doing and how much of a difference they are making to the local community.
The money could extend to other services such as more counseling being offered for individuals with addiction issues or coming from domestic violence relationships and other mental health problems.
The Charity also assists the elderly living with completing forms, and dealing with updated technology such as gas/electric, other bills and benefits that can only be accessed online.
Over the last 12 months they have helped with housing crisis's and prevented homelessness in which they have seen a 50% increase, this can include speaking the local authority re housing and other local charities that are able to assist.
Here at West Craven Insurance Services we helped with their Christmas Appeal, we did this by raising money and gifts/toys for children. the charity provides toys/gifts and Christmas hampers including food to those at risk of going without at Christmas time. Last Christmas they provided 527 toys to children that were classed as vulnerable and 432 Christmas hampers to families in need.