Do you have a good cause? And how you can help the Birmingham Mail Charity Trust

Apr 3 2008

ANYBODY can ask the Birmingham Mail Charity Trust for help, and anybody can offer their help.

Administered by The Birmingham Foundation, the Trust aims to support a wide range of groups with small grants - usually up to £2,000 - -or specific one-off needs.

It is not in a position to make annual grants. Trustees have the discretion to agree larger grants if the need is felt to warrant greater support and applications will be considered regularly.

The work of groups applying for grants should, according to the Trust's constitution, be of a social welfare nature with the beneficiaries living in the circulation area of the Birmingham Mail.

Successful applications and the work of groups involved may be publicised in the newspaper.

Contact the Trust's fund-raising manager, Gordon Creese, for a grant application form.

Readers wanting to help Trust can do so in a number of ways.

Just like any charity, the Trust relies on donations that come from fund-raising activities like bathing in baked beans or taking part in next month's 5km Fun Run.

But they needn't be the only types of donations.

People can also just give the trust a one-off sum from their pocket, or set-up regular donations through their bank, building society or pay cheque.

One such option is to become a Centurion, by contributing at least £8.35 a month Ð £100.20 over the year - and earn yourself a gold lapel badge to show your support for the Birmingham charity. And what about including the trust in your will?

Another option is to get your boss involved with a corporate donation; to match-fund your own cash-generating efforts; or even make the Trust your employer's official charity.

But whatever the source of your donation, don't forget to complete a Gift Aid declaration that would boost the amount by 25 per cent.

 If you want to help, but are unsure how to best go about it, contact the Trust's fund-raising manager, Gordon Creese.

You can write to Gordon at Birmingham Mail Charity Trust, PO Box 78, Weaman Street, Birmingham B4 6AY or email gordon.creese@birminghammail.net or phone 0121 234 5639.