Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation

🚶𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗔𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗱𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬🚶 As part of BLCF's 25th Anniversary celebrations, we are hosting a virtual 'Walk Across Bedfordshire' to raise money for our Hardship Fund. Throughout the years, our Hardship Funds have brought vital support to those most vulnerable in our communities during unprecedented times. From providing food packages during COVID-19 to organising ‘warmth’ packs in winter through the Cost of Living Crisis, the Hardship Funds respond to the most prevalent issues affecting individuals in our local area. Register as an individual or get your teams together to complete 30 miles in 30 days in June to complete the length of Bedfordshire, all while raising valuable funds to go toward our Hardship Fund! Walk around your local neighbourhood, log your walks on our event platform, and see your progress across Bedfordshire in real time. To join, please visit the link in our bio.

❗𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱❗ As part of Luton Borough Council’s groundbreaking Fairness Taskforce, and thanks to funding received from the National Lottery Community Fund, BLCF are working with local partners to offer a new fund to deliver actions of Luton’s Fairness Taskforce For this round of the fund, which is focused on Financial Resilience, there is a maximum pot of £110k available in total. There are two levels of awards available is as follows: 1) 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 – 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 £𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬. Groups applying must show a willingness to engage with other local groups to show added value and collaborative work. 2) 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 – 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 £𝟯𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬. Maximum of x2 awards available at this level. Organisations applying under this strand must deliver the project within a formed partnership with at least one other VCFSE/not for profit organisation. Priority will be given to applications from newly formed partnerships/collaborations with new innovative project ideas. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗮𝘆. For more information, including the criteria document, please visit our website (link in bio).

❗ 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱❗ The Frank Branston Charitable Trust (FBCT) was set up in memory of Frank Branston, newspaper proprietor and Bedford’s first elected mayor, to continue supporting the Bedfordshire community he cared so much about. Their mission is to provide financial support to organisations that directly benefit Bedfordshire residents, across a wide range of activities. There are two grant levels available for this fund: 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 between the value of £500-£3,000 are available for smaller interventions and shorter projects or activities. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘆. 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 between the value of £3,001-£15,000 for more substantial activity lasting up to one year of delivery (until August 2027). 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝟭𝟮𝗽𝗺 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭𝟴𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲. For more information, including the criteria document, please visit our website (link in bio).

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔-𝗭 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴! This week, we want to explore what we mean when we say ‘grantmaking’? At BLCF, we think of grantmaking as the bridge between where the money is and where it’s needed. We work with businesses and partners to link resources to those who need help. This means that we work to connect with businesses to develop and create funds/grants that really reach the heart of community issues and development needs. We act as a grant manager, overseeing the dissemination of the grants from conception to application to delivery. However, as a Community Foundation, our grantmaking goes deeper than this. For over 100 years, Community Foundations have been making impact in their local communities by having the local insight to make specific and targeted change. As part of this network, BLCF has worked over the past 25 years to listen to our communities, learn from them, and adapt our approach to bring change. From our Vital Signs Research to our Meet the Funders, we find different ways to engage with charities and community groups to allow us to listen and learn.

Want to join our Walk Across Bedfordshire but not sure how? Firstly, thank you so much for your interest in the Walk Across Bedfordshire! This 30 day challenge to walk 30 miles will help us to bring vital funds to those most vulnerable in society through our Hardship Fund. To register as team, ask your team leader to register first. When they register on our event, there will be an option to ‘create’ a team. A pop-up will emerge when they have clicked this option and there they can create a team name and input the email addresses of all the team members. Make sure to include a comma in between each email address! Once they have registered, each member of the team should receive an email inviting them to register. But, if not, never fear. You can still be a part of our team. If you register directly on the event, there is also an option to ‘find’ a team. Simply search your team name or the name of your team leader, and you should be able to join here! Have any questions? Let us know by emailing Jemma at [email protected]

⏪ 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀! ⏪ Since 2008, BLCF continued to expand and grow our grant offers. In 2013, the team secured two further contracts with London Luton Airport. [tag Luton airport] As a result of these two contracts, the foundation was able to expand and develop as an organisation. To this day, BLCF are proud to continue to call London Luton Airport an integral partner in our grantmaking. Funds like the London Luton Airport’s Community Trust Fund and Greener Future Fund help to tackle issues such as health inequalities, poverty, access to education and upskilling, and environmental issues. In this partnership, London Luton Airport has generously donated approximately £1.5 million to these causes in our local area. BLCF are extremely grateful to all our funders for their dedication and commitment to helping improve lives across Bedfordshire and Luton.

🚶𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲?🚶 Why not join BLCF's Walk Across Bedfordshire? As part of BLCF's 25th Anniversary celebrations, we are hosting a virtual 'Walk Across Bedfordshire' to raise money for our Hardship Fund. Throughout the years, our Hardship Funds have brought vital support to those most vulnerable in our communities during unprecedented times. From providing food packages during COVID-19 to organising ‘warmth’ packs in winter through the Cost of Living Crisis, the Hardship Funds respond to the most prevalent issues affecting individuals in our local area. Register as an individual or get your teams together to complete 30 miles in 30 days to complete the length of Bedfordshire, all while raising valuable funds to go toward our Hardship Fund! Walk around your local neighbourhood, log your walks on our event platform, and see your progress across Bedfordshire in real time. To join, please visit the link in our bio.

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔-𝗭 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴! This week we have F for Flow-through Funds. For our business partners, we have a range of options to start a fund with us all aimed to ensure you feel assured that your money is being maximised for your objectives and aims. In our “E for Endowment Funds” post, we explored how endowment funds can be used to invest your money to support communities year on year. However, this is not the only type of fund we can support. Our flow-through fund model offers donors the ability to put their money to work straightaway. Flow-through funds can be set up as a one-off fund or as an on-going fund that is topped up regularly, usually annually. The gift is held in cash, in a restricted fund, to support the causes the donor cares about in the year(s) ahead. To keep a flow-through fund going, the donor adds to the fund in future years. Intrigued to learn more about starting a fund with BLCF? Email our Head of Business Development, Dawn Bainbridge, at [email protected]

🥳 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀!!🥳 BLCF is extremely delighted to announce that we are finalists in the Community Business of the Year category at @thebedfordshirechamber SME Business Awards 2026! We are truly honoured to have received this recognition of our dedicated team's hard work. We are looking forward to attending the awards ceremony -- it's sure to be a wonderful event! #SMEBeds

⏪ 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀! ⏪ In 2008, BLCF secured the Grassroots Grants Contract, which was momentous as it enabled us to stabilise our core costs. With our core costs stabilised, the BLCF team was able to expand and hire our first Awards Manager. This stepping stone allowed us to increase capacity, due diligence procedures, and our work in the community. From this, our team has continued to expand and in 2026 we now have four Grants Managers and a Grant Administrator. This enables us to widen our reach, deepen our impact, and ensure we work to the highest standard.

@tracksautism provides a safe, positive environment in which young children aged two to six with autism and related conditions can learn, play, and be given support through intensive early intervention. Through six hours of support a week, TRACKS works with 31 families alongside mainstream education. TRACKS ensures that each session, comprising of eight children, has a high adult to child ratio to give the level of support that is needed in these sessions. Giving families this access to support also offers respite for the parents. Gaby, TRACKS’ Centre Manager and Family Support worker, explains that autism can cause issues around sleep to the extent that “parents don’t get any sleep because they literally cannot take their eyes off of their children due to their level of need... These sessions make a massive difference to these parents and sometimes they use this time just to catch up on sleep.” To demonstrate the impact of TRACKS, Gaby tells us about a family that came to TRACKS in crisis. TRACKS worked with this family to support them through the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) processes, going with them to tribunals and successfully getting their children into specialised schooling. As a result, mum now feels like “everything has changed [for the better]” and feels “positive about the future and that we can cope.” Charlotte Crotty, Fundraising and Communications Coordinator, emphasises that funding like the Near Neighbours Fund keeps these services going. “Without this funding, Gaby wouldn’t have the capacity to continue providing the level of support she does... The fact that @lutonrising and BLCF saw the value in this service and helped it to keep going is something we’re extremely grateful for." On this Autism Awareness Day, Gaby emphasises the need for compassion and patience from others. “Parents can become their own home, and one of the reasons for this is judgment from others. People usually don't understand the severity autism can reach so they may think 'bad child, bad parent' when seeing meltdowns in public... I think people would be more compassionate if the understood the severity."

Town launch Carbon Champions project. The Carbon Champions project, funded by @ldnlutonairport 's Greener Futures Fund and supported by @bedlutcf , aims to inspire young people across Luton to take the lead on climate action projects focused on the places they care about 🧡