We are requesting this grant because we are facing the loss of two major donors, the David Cock Foundation and The Mountbatten Foundation, on whom we have relied for significant funding in since 2018. Both of these grants are spending out and will not be available to us, as of 2026. This, combined with the increases in NI, pensions, and inflation mean that we are facing a precarious future. We have been working extremely hard to secure the longevity of our vital peer mentoring services for children and young people with visual impairments in creating a robust fundraising plan for the years ahead.
We were very fortunate to receive a £10,000 resilience grant from yourselves in 2024, which paid for crucial fundraising hours and had a hugely positive impact. As a result of more focussed fundraising time, we have been able to secure relationships and grants with new trusts and foundations, we have been successful in securing our first ever multi-year applications (to Children in Need and Muller Trust) and have a large application in with the Lottery Community Fund at present. This has allowed us to cover our costs for this financial year and to make good headway in securing the budget for the next two years to follow.
However, it is vital that we continue to invest in fundraising to allow us to meet our targets and continue to deliver our service and reach more young people with visual impairments and their families.