Industry charity The Light Fund is open for applications for registered charity organisations whose beneficiaries are children, women or men. This year, The Light Fund, has got over £100,000 to give to charity projects thanks to very successful raffles held at industry events such as The Gift Awards, The Retas, The Henries Awards, the Preschool Awards and The Licensing Awards, as well as The Light Fund’s annual treasure hunt, product selloffs and quiz nights.
Any organisation with a UK registered charity number, which works to benefit men, women or children in Britain or overseas, is invited to submit proposals for specific projects, costing up to £5,000, that they would like to be considered for funding, and to be completed during 2024.
All applications must be made online here, and should be received no later than Friday 10 November.
“It is truly wonderful that, thanks to the generosity of our industry, to include the gift, greeting card, housewares, preschool and licensing industries each and every year, we can change the lives of thousands of people all over the world less fortunate than ourselves through The Light Fund,” comments Jakki Brown, md of Max Publishing, and one of the co-founders of The Light Fund. “I urge everyone in the gift industry to get in touch with charities close to their heart and encourage them to submit an application for funding. It really is quick and easy to apply.”
In making an application, which can only be done online, charities should detail the project they would like The Light Fund to consider funding. These charity project proposals should be for £5,000 (or less) and if funding is granted, the project should be completed in 2024.
All submissions will be considered by The Light Fund trustees and committee members, who individually vote for projects they would most like to see funded. These votes are then correlated, with the projects receiving the highest number of votes receiving the go ahead. Charities will be informed in December if they have been successful and the project details will be featured on this website under the Beneficiaries tab.
As The Light Fund chairman Trevor Jones told GiftsandHome.net’s sister publication PG Buzz: “Those in the industry have done themselves proud with their support of The Light Fund since its inception. As the charity celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024, it is wonderful to know that we will see another 20+ worthwhile charity projects going ahead, giving help and support to those in need.”
Since its inception in 2004, The Light Fund has raised well over £2million and has funded over 250 different charity projects for registered charities, including Maggie’s, Berkshire MS Therapy Centre, Breast Cancer Now, CALM, Carers Worldwide, Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, Kidscape, Pancreatic Cancer UK, ShelterBox, along with numerous smaller local charities.
The website details all beneficiaries together with details of the specific projects funded.
Top: This year saw The Light Fund pay for a hot bed incubator for North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple by charity New Life Special Babies Units.
