Latest figures from the Merseyside Women’s Fund show the real need to support community projects working to benefit women and girls across our region.
Earlier this year the Community Foundation for Merseyside (CFM) announced the launch of the new Merseyside Women’s fund after its national membership body, UK Community Foundations (UKCF), secured a record £3.4 million award from the DCMS Tampon Tax Scheme.
The Community Foundation for Merseyside received approximately £70,000 from this allocation to enable the launch of the new Merseyside Women’s Fund and ultimately aims to raise £1 million to help support local women.
Launched in September, the fund invited applications for grants between £5,000 and £10,000 to support community projects that help benefit women and girls across Merseyside. But a high number of requests means that many applicants inevitably face the prospect of being disappointed.
The fund was significantly oversubscribed with bids of over £479,000 for a pot worth £72,000.
Chief Executive for the Community Foundation for Merseyside, Rae Brooke, said: “In response to the first round of funding available to women’s projects through the Merseyside Women’s Fund, the Community Foundation for Merseyside have received an overwhelming response from applicants, being five times greater than the current budget available.”
“This demonstrates the real need for this fund and reinforces how by coming together we can achieve so much more. Donations now towards the Merseyside Women’s Fund will have an immediate positive impact benefiting the lives of women and girls for years to come.”
Karen Morris, Development Director at Community Foundation for Merseyside, echoed Rae’s thoughts, saying: “Each application will now be thoroughly checked and assessed by our programmes team. Our expert panel will then have the difficult task of choosing to fund those projects that they believe will have the greatest impact.”
"In order to achieve the ambitions and needs of women and girls in Merseyside, we encourage more philanthropists, organisations and individuals to get behind this fund and commit their support.”
The panel will sit on December 17th, any donations prior to the panel will help us support more projects.
To donate or for more information visit https://cfmerseyside.org.uk/womensfund
