Last month Sussex Community Foundation hosted a private reception designed to help the foundation reach a new audience of potential supporters who have a base in Sussex but live and/or work in London.
The venue was the Two Temple Place, headquarters of the Bulldog Trust, whose chairman, Patrick Burgess, lives in Sussex and is a long-time supporter of Sussex Community Foundation.
Host and speaker was Glenn Earle who, with his wife Phyllida, set up a family fund with Sussex Community Foundation in 2010.
He recently retired from a senior role with Goldman Sachs International. Recent grants from the family’s fund have gone to Sussex community groups, such as Friends of Beechgrove, a social group for older socially isolated people in rural areas of Wealden district who have mental health problems and Mediation Plus in Hailsham, who provide vital family mediation and conflict resolution services to families in Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden districts, often social housing tenants.
Among the sixty or so guests were people working in professional services, senior private client advisors with clients in Sussex, current Sussex Community Foundation donors, some Sussex MPs and representatives from our sponsors, Cheviot Asset Management.
Janet Omerod, fund development manager, said: “Many of the guests were completely new to us.
“It was an enjoyable evening in an interesting venue and provided a gentle introduction to our work. We hope that the longer-term results of receptions like this will be more funds donated for the benefit of Sussex people.”
Since its birth in 2006, Sussex Community Foundation has given grants totalling over £4.5 million to more than 2,000 Sussex charities and community groups and built an endowment fund of around £4 million that will keep giving back to Sussex into the future.