This week the fantastic Swindon MS Therapy centre has inspired my weekly article. As part of 'Small Charities Week' they tweeted key reasons to celebrate the work of small charities, so I thought I would expand on some of the fantastic ideas suggested by members of the public.
1) 'Love small charities because it's plain to see where your donations go.'
It can be frustrating for the public when they see large charities publish their accounts showing money spent on administration, public affairs, lobbying or advertising. To be fair, this may often be crucial to their work, but not necessarily what fund-raisers hoped for. I have been lucky enough to raise over £70,000 for local charities and organisations since I was elected as an MP, fully utilising pure cheek, as whenever I meet with businesses and large organisations I always ask if they have a community fund which could be spent supporting Swindon's small charities. As they rely on volunteers, they are often simply seeking to raise funds to buy essential equipment, so a few hundred pounds can make all the difference.
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2) 'Love small charities because supporters get a close relationship with them (cup of tea is usually on standby).'
Local charities often provide crucial support, whether one to one, or as a collective group. This week I visited Christians Against Poverty (CAP) who provide one-to-one debt counselling at The Bridge, in Highworth. They are one of a number of organisations which operate from The Bridge, which provides a welcoming, open environment for local residents to seek help over a cup of tea.
3) 'Love small charities because no departments! Your note, phone call or letter gets seen (and really appreciated).'
When I visit local charities, I am often surprised just how it is one or two people; multi-tasking, often unseen and without thanks they beaver away. They occasional thank you, or simply being able to see first-hand how their time is making a difference can mean the world. Therefore it was a great honour last week to be asked by the Swindon Volunteer Centre to present certificates to volunteers from a number of local charities as part of 'National Volunteers Week', which included: The Children's Society, The Olive Tree Cafe, Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership, MHA Care Homes, Swindon College, The Gate & Gateway Furniture, Swindon 105.5, Victim Support The Witness Service, The Sports Forum, Voluntary Action Swindon, Swindon Home Library Service, Community Centre @ Christchurch, SMASH, Wiltshire Law Centre, The Harbour Project, Highworth Library, Street Games, Swindon Health Walks & Timebank Swindon.
According to the NCVO, Swindon has 138 charities, with 5,500 volunteers. They do amazing work to make things better for so many causes – we can all be proud of their efforts.
