Gillian Keegan attended the first Sussex Charities Fair at Goodwood House on Saturday 13th October where 28 local charities met guests with an interest in hearing more about the work of the Foundation and its brand of community philanthropy. The Foundation was established in 2006 by the 10th Duke of Richmond and it has been announced that the 11th Duke of Richmond and Gordon is to be the new patron of Sussex Community Foundation. Since its creation the Foundation has been hugely successful, giving £14million in grants to around 200 charities, with a further £17million invested so they are able to provide support that is sustainable and long term.
The foundation supports a huge variety of charities many of which operate in the Chichester constituency for example Youth Dream in Selsey is one of the recipients, they work with young people providing advice and support to improve physical and mental health and put on a range of other activities to help with development. The grant they received developed the Hidden Garden, which provides fresh vegetables to the Foodbank and teaches young people about gardening, food nutrition and meal preparation.
Gillian Keegan said: The event was a big success; sharing ideas and bringing charities together with people and groups who can offer support. The range of work the Foundation supports is phenomenal; whether it be providing support to victims of abuse, or tackling loneliness for elderly people at risk of isolation, or improving access for people with disabilities. We are lucky to have such brilliant local charities, and such generous supportive donors. I think the Duke hit the nail on the head at the charity fair when he said: “The amazing diversity of local charities in Sussex is testament to the great vitality of our community and shows that many people share these values.”