Community Groups in Havant, Gosport, Fareham & Petersfield benefit from support from the Moneybarn Social Impact Fund
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) has awarded grants worth £34,263 on behalf of Moneybarn, a vehicle finance lender based in Petersfield. The grants have been awarded to nine local charitable organisations to help some of Hampshire’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people. The Moneybarn Social Impact Fund invests in the activities of local community groups and charitable organisations that help people to integrate more fully into society.
Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive at HIWCF said “We are delighted to be partnering with the team at Moneybarn and this new round of funding is supporting the smaller charities and community groups that are working incredibly hard to make a big difference to the lives of local people experiencing difficult times. We know that there is a huge demand for this support, and that deprivation is particularly high in some areas of Havant and Gosport, with seven localities falling into the worst 10% in the country according to ONS data. Thanks to the generosity of companies such as Moneybarn we can look at meeting the needs of local people and giving them the life opportunities that they deserve.”
Funding has been awarded to some of the following projects across Hampshire:
Losing My Sight UK in Fareham has been awarded a grant of £4,792 to enable visually impaired members to join in with physical activities such as water sports, swimming, bowling, sailing, kayaking, climbing and archery. The aim is to enable members of the group to build strong new friendships, while keeping active. Members will also be able to attend mental health courses to help overcome anxiety and increase confidence.
Urban Vocal Group (UVG) has received a grant of £4,957 to sustain its’ musical activities in Havant and to pilot brand new activities in Gosport. Sessions will focus on improving musical technique, performance skills, confidence building and goal setting for 30 young people. Music mentoring sessions will also support young people by providing a safe space, where any concerns or anxieties can be shared, whilst learning new skills that can be taken forward into the creative industries and beyond.
Headway Portsmouth and South East Hampshire has received a grant of £3,911 to deliver an inclusive service for up to 100 individuals living with the effects of brain injury in Gosport and Fareham. Brain injury has a huge impact on family life, finances, and individual’s role and their relationships and Headway offer access to information, signposting and training in a nurturing environment. Activities will include structured social activities, sports therapy and training, enabling attendees to socialise, share experiences, offer peer support and build long-term friendships.
Shamus Hodgson, Managing Director of Moneybarn said, “The Moneybarn Social Impact Fund administered by HIWCF provides us with a fantastic opportunity to help those less fortunate in the local community. This reflects our ethos of putting the needs of our community first, and partnering with HIWCF enables us to identify the need and target our support to where it can have the most impact.”
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Notes To Editors
HIWCF Contact Details for Editor:
Name: Lucy Sweet, Marketing Manager, Grant Cornwell MBE, Chief Executive,
Telephone: (01256) 776116
Email: lucy@hiwcf.com
grant.cornwell@hiwcf.com
About Moneybarn
Moneybarn is the UK’s leading lender of vehicle finance for the non-standard market. Moneybarn’s firm focus is on responsible lending, helping people access finance even if their credit score is less than perfect.
The company has won awards for its service and approach, most recently ‘Best Company to Work for in Car Finance’ at the Car Finance Awards 2019, ‘Non-Prime Lender of the Year’ at the Motor Finance Europe Awards 2019 and the Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award 2019.
Moneybarn is part of Provident Financial plc, a leading provider of credit products which provide financial inclusion for those consumers who are not well served by mainstream lenders. The Group serves 2.4 million customers and its operations consist of Vanquis Bank, Moneybarn, and the Consumer Credit Division (CCD) comprising Provident home credit and Satsuma.
Provident Financial’s community investment activities are delivered through its Group-wide Social Impact Programme which is aligned to the Group’s purpose of helping to put people on a path to a better everyday life. The strategy of this programme is to invest in activities and initiatives which seek to address some of the key factors which, on their own or acting together, can reduce someone’s likelihood to be accepted for credit. These factors include: lack of literacy or numeracy skills; disabilities and/or mental health issues; unemployment or under-employment; low levels of educational attainment; and low, uncertain or fluctuating incomes.
