FIND fundraising campaign builds momentum

Fundraising for local charity Families in Need (FIND) is building momentum with the launch of a new website and the announcement of new companies signing up to be FIND 50 fundraisers.

The appeal aims to recruit 50 businesses, individuals, schools and other organisations who will each pledge to raise £2,000 towards the £100,000 ‘lifeline appeal’ for FIND’s new headquarters in Ipswich. The East Anglian Daily Times and Ipswich Star were amongst the first supporters of the campaign.

In the meantime local companies in the building industry have rallied round to give their services either free or at cost. Negotiations on the lease agreement for the new building in Ipswich are progressing well with Ipswich Borough Council, the design is complete and the procurement phase for the building project is underway.

£13,500 has been raised by FIND 50 fundraisers so far and many new fundraising activities are in the pipeline. In the past few weeks Ellison Solicitors, Adsar Technology, Attwells Solicitors and Kesgrave High School have made FIND their chosen charity. They join East of England Co-op, Ipswich School, Genesis PR, Ipswich Building Society, Ipswich East Rotary Club, Ipswich Round Table, Kingsfleet Wealth and PLC Business who were the first companies to become FIND 50 fundraisers.

The companies which have committed to give their services either free or at cost for the building project include Barnes Construction, quantity surveyors Castons, Hoopers Architects, MLM, JSH Consulting, Kadec and law firm Barker Gotelee.

Maureen Reynel MBE, founder and Board Chair of FIND, said: “We are hugely grateful for the support we are getting and thrilled that the momentum of the FIND 50 campaign is building. We hope that more companies, schools and groups will come forward and announce FIND as their charity to help us with our £100,000 lifeline appeal.”

The new FIND website was created voluntarily by Genesis PR’s Digital Manager, Alex Raymond and Director, Penny Arbuthnot, with FIND’s founder Maureen Reynel MBE. See www.findipswich.org.uk.

Penny Arbuthnot, director at Genesis PR, which is giving its services free to run the campaign, said: “FIND is an incredible charity which is helping people in crisis and despair every week. The team at Genesis is 100% behind this campaign and it’s fantastic that new companies as well as schools and groups are coming on board as FIND 50 fundraisers. The Genesis PR team’s fundraising will start with a group of us doing the Orwell Walk, organised by Ipswich East Rotary Club, on 17 June and then a Bake Sale on Suffolk Day on 21 June.”

FIND was established nearly 30 years ago by Maureen Reynel MBE in response to the growing need for food parcels for people in poverty and crisis. Demand has risen year on year and the charity, manned by over 100 local volunteers, works closely with social services and local agencies, who refer people to FIND who are in crisis and without the most basic provisions.

FIND provides over 70 food parcels per week (over 5,000 each year) along with personal care items. FIND also provides furniture, bedding and household items where a person or family has none. A third and little known area of its work is supporting rough sleepers, for example with warm clothing and food parcels and by helping secure them temporary accommodation until permanent housing can be arranged.

To sign up to become a FIND 50 fundraiser please email FIND50@genesispr.co.uk. Donations of non-perishable food items and toiletries can be made to any local participating East of England Co-Op, Waitrose at Futura Park and Sainsbury’s at Warren Heath.