The Scottish Power Foundation has funded £10m-worth of support to charities and community groups
Never has the importance of the amazing support charities across the country provide to people and communities been so important.
We’ve all admired the ways charitable projects across the country stepped up to support those who needed it most during the pandemic and now we’re seeing how invaluable their help is as we face the cost-of-living crisis.
As we go through difficult times, charities are also feeling the knock-on effect as people cut back on donations to reduce their monthly spend.
That’s why what we do at the ScottishPower Foundation really matters. We’re proud to have awarded more than £10 million to a host of incredible projects over the past nine years. Every pound and penny of that money makes a real difference and has helped create a lasting legacy in communities the length and breadth of the UK.
I had the chance to see that difference for myself when I visited the Linkes Community Food Project in Knightswood earlier this year. The project aims to tackle food poverty by helping local residents and families access affordable, healthy and nutritious food.
During the pandemic, the charity piloted a weekly Community Food Hub to provide 18,000 meals to older people and 2,000 grocery packs to families who needed it the most. Our funding is being used to support the initial set-up of a new dedicated Community Food Hub – easing the burden for anyone worrying about where their next meal is coming from – and the positive feedback from those who benefit was incredible.
Linkes is just one of the amazing examples of how our £10 million has helped thousands of people through the almost 200 charitable grants we’ve awarded over the years.
Our funding has helped advance education, environmental protection, community development, the arts, culture and science and provide relief for those in need through poverty, disability or disadvantage – and it really is a privilege to be able to help.
Our funded projects also get the chance to apply for an additional one-off funding boost during the year through the ScottishPower Foundation Awards. To celebrate our £10 million funding milestone, we’ve created a special Legacy Award for 2022.
This one-off celebratory award – open to all charities that have previously won a ScottishPower Foundation Award – will recognise the outstanding achievements of many of our funded projects and charities. The winner will take home £10,000 to help them continue their life-changing efforts.
The increasing range and volume of applicants for ScottishPower Foundation funding shows just how much amazing work is being carried out by charities; but it also highlights the need and competition for funding within the third sector. Charity donations are vital to ensure that these inspiring organisations can continue to deliver projects that benefit so many people.
And that’s exactly why the ScottishPower Foundation exists. We’re passionate about helping communities come together by supporting important and life-changing projects and I’m incredibly thankful to our funded charity partners for the work they do each and every day.
We’re proud to stand alongside them and do what we can to help – supporting them to develop lasting legacies within the communities they serve. And our £10 million of funding is testament to that.
Melanie Hill is Executive Officer and Trustee at the ScottishPower Foundation
www.scottishpowerfoundation.com
