Each year our charitable foundation Foxley Kingham Anniversary Foundation works hard to put together a series of fundraising events to help valuable, local causes. Last year in a bid to make as much impact as we could at a time when a lot of people in the community were struggling amid the pandemic, we chose to support Luton based organisation, Level Trust.
Level Trust provides vital help and support for children and families in the local area by helping families overcome the costs of education so all children in Luton have the chance to love learning.
The Foundation’s team of trustees arranged two charity challenges that took place in September 2021; a charity cycle and a 26-mile walk. The hardy cycling team of Helen Spokes, Paul Bithrey, Steve Samson, Rachel Hayler and Duane Litchfield took on a hilly route around the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire countryside, covering 52 miles and over 3000ft of climbing and raising over £4000. And Tara Aldwin, Sarah Robertson, Ellie Robertson, Sophie Robertson, Gabriella Caulfield and Lesley Middleton laced up their walking boots and took on a marathon challenge to walk 26 miles in an impressive nine hours, raising a further £3500.
The rest of the fundraising was the result of a rainy golf event at Cainhoe Wood Golf Course, as well as dress-down days, a quiz, a raffle and a car boot sale.
Tara Aldwin, Director at Foxley Kingham and Trustee of the Anniversary Foundation said:
“It’s been a great inspiration for us to work with Level Trust and the valuable work they do to support local children and their families. I’d like to thank the trustees and all the staff and supporters who have taken part in fundraising this year. We are also delighted to announce not one but three new charity partners for the year ahead and we are really thrilled to be supporting the outstanding work they do in our community.”
Jane Malcolm, Chief Executive of Level Trust added:
‘We are so grateful for the time and effort that Foxley Kingham have put into raising funds for us over the past year. The money they have raised is a significant sum and will go a long way to helping us increase the number of children we can support next year. Thank you so much Foxley Kingham for all you have done and continue to do to help the children of Luton.”
As for the year ahead, we put it to the wider FK team to vote for the next chosen charity partner but when the results were in the top three were so close the decision was made to spend the year raising funds for all three charities. The chosen theme for the foundation this year is health and wellbeing with a focus on mental health and the chosen organisations are; Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity’s Emergency Department Appeal (supporting CAMHS), CHUMS and Mind BLMK.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Charity’s Emergency Department Appeal will support Child and Adolescent Mental Health Room (CAMHS), an organisation that offers help and support to children and young people (up to age 18) who have mental health difficulties and their families and carers. FKAF fundraising will support CAMHS in the creation of a designated room at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital in the emergency department – allowing the space and time required for the assessment and treatment needed in a quiet environment away from the rest of the busy department.
CHUMS Charity supports the local services delivered by Chums CIC, offering mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children, young people and their families. These services include supporting people through trauma from bereavement, baby loss and a disability friendship scheme.
Mind BLMK works to support positive mental health and well-being by offering several activities from well-being centres and local venues to make a difference in the health of people in the community. Planning is underway for more activities to return in 2022, including some one-off special activities, topic-focused workshops, tutor-led arts and yoga sessions – FKAF funds will help to support the return of these services.
With restrictions now almost completely lifted the foundation team is really excited for a year of fundraising efforts and has some grand plans in stock for being charitable face to face once again.
You can make a donation to the FKAF here.
