Our CEO Simon is also patron to the community fund We Love Lichfield which has received a £10,000 donation from the business trading arm of Lichfield District Council. Lichfield West Midlands Traded Services (LWMTS) has donated funds from its annual surplus as part of its commitment to give back to the local area.
LWMTS is the wholly owned trading company of Lichfield District Council. It exists to deliver high-quality services to residents on behalf of the council. It also shares its award-winning expertise with other councils and organisations across the country. What makes LWMTS unique is its model and its values. All surpluses are reinvested back into local public services with the ability to donate to good causes in the district.
Alex Farrell, Chair of LWMTS said, “I’m delighted to make this donation. LWMTS has had an excellent year where we have been able to make significant returns to Lichfield District Council which will, in turn, be used to benefit local people. In addition, we can make donations to organisations we feel make a difference across the district.
“We Love Lichfield has raised and distributed over £420,000 to more than 400 different groups since it started a decade ago. It specifically helps smaller groups, who may not receive the limelight, but are the bedrock of the local voluntary community.
“By making this donation to We Love Lichfield and their unique knowledge and connections in the local voluntary sector, we are maximising our reach and benefitting as many people as possible who make a difference across the district.”
Some of the organisations to receive We Love Lichfield grants over the years include Spark in Burntwood, Whittington Community Computer Club and Friends 2 Friends.
Esther Allen from Spark Burntwood said, “Our groups have received multiple grants from We Love Lichfield which has helped us to provide vital services to local people. Without grants from We Love Lichfield we wouldn’t have been able to do much of our work for the community.”
Simon Price, Patron of We Love Lichfield said, “Wow. A huge thank you for this kind donation which will have a massive, positive effect on local voluntary groups across Lichfield, Burntwood and the surrounding villages.
“My thanks also go to Lichfield District Council for entrusting We Love Lichfield in assisting them in their grant and Community Lottery funds. To have the council as a partner gives us a boost to strive even harder to make a difference across our district.”
Grant applications can be made at any time throughout the year and We Love Lichfield are always looking for groups to apply for the first time. Grant awards are made twice a year in the Summer and at Christmas. For more information, please visit our website www.welovelichfield.com where you can find all the details.
We Love Lichfield is one of the Community Foundation For Staffordshire and Shropshire’s place based funds. It provides grants to a wide range of projects operating across the district of Lichfield. The fund considers applications from local groups in need twice a year. It raises money and then the returns are given away. Companies and individuals make up the bulk of the donors to the fund, either through direct donations, or by fundraising.
Since it started over a decade ago, We Love Lichfield has given away just over £420,000 in 428 grants to 228 organisations.
All the money raised is invested through an endowment fund in line with charity commission guidelines. The financial return from the fund is then distributed as small grants across the area. The beauty of this model is that it will provide a source of sustainable funding that can be used for grants long in to the future. It’s almost like a pension scheme set up to support community and voluntary groups across Lichfield. Individuals and businesses can raise money for We Love Lichfield. They can fund raise or they can donate via Enthuse here: https://cfss.enthuse.com/welovelichfield
Picture is Simon receiving a cheque from LWMTS’s Alex Farrell together with WLL and LWMTS representatives
