First awards given by SEGRO’S Thames Valley Community Fund
£25,000 awarded to charities across Slough, Reading and Berkshire. Five charities working to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the Slough, Reading and Bracknell area have been selected as the first beneficiaries of SEGRO’s Thames Valley Community Fund.
The Thames Valley Community Fund, delivered in partnership with The Berkshire Community Foundation, was launched in November 2017 with £25,000 to help fund projects that support disadvantaged communities and help local people to develop the skills and confidence to gain employment now and in the future.
From 40 expressions of interest, Berkshire Community Foundation created a short list of 19 charities before putting forth 10 charities who met the specific criteria. SEGRO selected the five winning recipients who will all receive £5,000. They are:
- ABC to Read, which helps to transform the lives of children who are struggling to read at primary schools across Berkshire.
- East-West Organization, which offers holistic interventions for the prevention, treatment and recovery from addictions.
- Home-Start Slough, a 60-strong team of specially trained home-visiting volunteers providing life-changing support to vulnerable families in the local area.
- Refocus, which aims to improve the lives of children and young people through a range of services including running youth clubs, holiday activities, 1-2-1 mentoring, employment and education projects, life skills training, advice and support.
- Smart Works, which supports women in the area getting into work by providing appropriate outfits, styling advice and interview coaching.
A second round of funding will be launched in the spring 2018, enabling five further charities to have another opportunity to secure up to £5,000.
Gareth Osborn, Business Unit Director, Thames Valley & National Logistics, said:
“We are proud to support those charities who make a tangible difference to the lives of people who use their services and we thank all those who have applied for funding in this round.
“We want to support local people to develop successful careers in the Thames Valley. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of the first round of funding.”
Gerry Lejeune OBE, Chief Executive of Berkshire Community Foundation, added:
“With the support of SEGRO we have been able to make a real difference to the charities working tirelessly to support disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the local area. We look forward to supporting many other deserving causes in the months and years to come.”
Lesley Michaelis, Scheme Chairman, at Home-Start Slough, said:
“This funding will be crucial in helping us provide additional volunteers to families and individuals in difficult situations across the local area. We would like to thank both SEGRO and Berkshire Community Foundation for their support.”
About SEGRO
SEGRO is a UK Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), and a leading owner, manager and developer of modern warehouses and light industrial property. It owns or manages 6.7 million square metres of space (72 million square feet) valued at over £9 billion serving customers from a wide range of industry sectors. Its properties are located in and around major cities and at key transportation hubs in the UK and in nine other European countries.