Charities to benefit from new 150 Fund (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Charities to benefit from new 150 Fund

MODELS will take to the catwalk for the first major event to kick-start fundraising for a new charitable fund being set up by the Wiltshire Times.

This is our 150th anniversary year and to celebrate we are setting up the Wiltshire Times 150 Fund to help community groups and organisations in need.

Fundraising campaigns often focus on big, well-known charities while the small voluntary groups working in our towns and villages are struggling to raise money to keep their work going.

For those groups the sums required to stay afloat can be small.

We want to ensure financial support is available for groups in our circulation area and will be fundraising throughout 2004.

The fund will be managed for us by a registered charity, the Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation, and the money will be invested to generate income each year.

In the last financial year the Community Found-ation gave out grants totalling more than £80,000 to 32 groups and it has a wealth of experience of fundraising in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Times staff began the fundraising drive with a bag pack at Tesco and Asda supermarkets in Trowbridge earlier this month, raising £170.

A raffle to win a case and cue signed by all seven players taking part in the 2004 Premier Snooker League in Trowbridge at the weekend also raised £250.

Winturwell WI has contributed £30 to the fund after news editor Holly Robinson gave the group a talk about the Wiltshire Times.

A series of events are being organised to help us reach our £20,000 target and for the first we have teamed up with Tesco for a fashion show at Trowbridge Civic Hall on March 3.

Choreographer Wayne Palmer is busy putting the models through their paces for the event to preview Tesco's spring and summer collection.

Peter Reece, Tesco customer services manager, said: "All the models are employees or their family members and they have been rehearsing hard for several weeks.

"It is a great event for staff morale and gives them a chance to raise money for charity."

Wiltshire Times marketing manager Louise Keenan said: "Tesco has its own nominated charity this year, Dorothy House, and half of the proceeds on the night will go to our 150 Fund and half to Dorothy House.

"On the night there will be a raffle and someone will get the chance to win £300 of clothing vouchers for the store."

Tickets for the event cost £5 and include a free buffet provided by Tesco. They are available from the customer service desk at Tesco and from the Wiltshire Times office in Duke Street, Trowbridge.

The Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation will be handling all donations made to the 150 Fund. Cheques should be made payable to WSCF and can be sent to: The Wiltshire Times 150 Fund, Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation, 48, New Park Street, Devizes SN10 1DS.

Free publicity for your event

THINKING about doing your own fundraising, but need to make sure everyone knows about it? If you are planning to sit in a bath of baked beans or swim the equivalent of a few English Channels for your chosen charity or good cause then we can make sure you get publicity. As part of the 150 Fund campaign the Wiltshire Times is offering people, groups and societies the chance to profile their event in the newspaper. In return we ask that a minimum 10 per cent of the money raised at the event is donated to the 150 Fund.

Contact the newsdesk on (01225) 352483.