Trust Newsletter – March 2021

GBCT’s latest newsletter is now available. Available to download as PDF and in summary below.

Community Heroes – A Message from the Chair of Trustees

‘Community Heroes’ was the title of my column in our last newsletter in March 2020, as the reality of COVID-19 was becoming apparent. It has been said of the pandemic that it has proved we are interdependent and not independent. The stories we’ve heard about the incredible work of our nation’s community heroes, many of them volunteers and some of them GBCT supporters and / or beneficiaries, certainly supports this so it seems apt to repeat this title and recognise their efforts.

GBCT has seen a large increase in the number of grant enquires and applications, so whilst our outreach work has been reduced by the pandemic and we have less photos to share the Trustees have been by no means idle! The Trustees could have spent the GBCT’s reserves times over, particularly because we received many applications for COVID related costs under our ‘supporting emergency aid’ criteria, but we decided to stay true to the original intent of our criteria  and continue building George’s legacy in the way we originally intended. In this way, the GBCT is continuing to support community groups where we can make the most difference and will continue to be able to do so in 2021 and beyond.

The Trustees and I appreciate the personal challenges our supporters may be facing because of the pandemic and we are grateful for your continued support. Over the past twelve months your support has enabled us to award grants totalling £21,600, taking our overall figure of grants awarded to over £141,000. Many of the grant recipients in the stories in our newsletter are ‘new’ to GBCT, but three grant recipients are now well known to GBCT and it is pleasing to see year-on-year the difference our support is making.

I hope, that  like the Trustees and I, you find inspiration from the stories that we share in this newsletter about the many wonderful things that GBCT support continues to enable.

Maria Bairstow, Chair of Trustees

New Grants

  • Durham County Scouts Association – Emergency Aid
  • Molesey Sea Scout Group – Emergency Aid
  • Nautical Training Corps – Emergency Aid
  • Exmoor Search & Rescue – Emergency Aid
  • Me2 Club – Volunteering
  • Volunteering Matters – Volunteering
  • Oarsome Change – Enhancement of Skills
  • Criminon – Enhancement of Skills
  • Getting on Board, Future Trustees Programme – Enhancement of Skills and Volunteering
  • London Wildlife Trust – Enhancement of Skills and Volunteering
  • North Tyneside Disability Forum – Emergency Aid, Enhancement of Skills and Volunteering

Updates from Grant Recipients

  • BASICS Essex Accident Rescue Service, new PPE for volunteer medics
  • Great Western Heartstarters, over 4000 school children first aid trained

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