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Small charities are 'lifeblood of community'

Michele Cross
BBC News
BBC A woman wearing glasses on the right who works for the parenting network, she is playing with a young girl on the floor while parents can be seen in the background talkingBBC
The Parenting Network in Portsmouth said it supported 12,500 families last year

Small charities are "the lifeblood of our communities", a foundation that provides grants for grassroots organisations has said.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation supports charities tackling poverty, isolation, mental health and unemployment across the two counties.

Jacqui Scott, chief executive of the group, said small philanthropic organisations "know their clients and the people they work with incredibly well, and provide them with huge amounts of support".

Her comments come during Small Charity Week in the UK - a national campaign highlighting the important, but often unsung, impact of small charities.

Since 2002, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation has awarded more than £16.5m of funding to local groups, distributing a share of 1 to 2 million pounds a year.

"We match their passion and what they want to achieve with their funding in the local community," Ms Scott said.

Jacqui Scott a curly haired woman wearing a brown blazer and a purple top
Jacqui Scott is the chief executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation

Matt Foster, who started the Parenting Network in Portsmouth, is one of those to have benefited from grant money.

His organisation offers a range of free services and support to parents in Hampshire.

"Small bits of funding have big ripples and make big impacts for the families here," he said.

He admitted the group would not exist without that support and said being the founder of a small charity could come with financial pressure.

"You feel that weight on your shoulders," he said

'Lost without it'

Mr Foster said the Parenting Network supported more than 12,500 families last year.

He said: "It's mixed feelings. It's really sad the stories that we hear but we are so, so lucky that we are here and we are the people that they are choosing to come to."

A parent who spoke from one of the charity's sessions said: "Without it, without the support, without the groups, without the one-to-one chat that you can have, without anything, I think we'd all be lost."

Another said the parents also enjoyed making friends and having a break.

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