Donate the Rebate campaign raised £21,415 to support local communities facing hardship over the winter

Transformation Cornwall teamed up with Crowdfunder, The Diocese of Truro, The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Methodist District and Cornwall Faith Forum and raised an incredible £21,415 to Poverty Hurts, the Cornwall Community Foundation’s cost of living appeal. 

Thanks to the tremendous community spirit and generosity of those who donated their energy rebate to help those in need, the funds raised by the Poverty Hurts appeal has provided grants for grassroots charities and community organisations whose demand for support increased due to the rising household costs.

Rob Love, Founder and CEO of Crowdfunder, says:

“Crowdfunder is about tackling society’s challenges by making ideas happen – and our Donate the Rebate campaign has proved a great way to tackle the cost-of-living crisis here in Cornwall. It’s simply about moving money from A to B – to those who need it most. We’re delighted to partner with Cornwall Community Foundation and Transformation Cornwall and hope that thousands of ordinary people from Scilly to the Tamar will now benefit from the campaign.”

Some of the organisations who have benefitted from the Poverty Hurts appeal include Samaritans of Cornwall at Truro, Safe Haven Cornwall, Community Energy Plus, Regenerative Food and Farming CIC and Winning Steps South West CIC. 

Bishop Hugh Nelson, Chair of Transformation Cornwall, says:

“This campaign was in the true spirit of ‘One and All’. For many people the government support with energy bills was desperately needed but wasn’t enough. Others didn’t need that help and were able to donate their rebate. By pulling together like this, we have made a real difference and helped get support to the people who needed it most. I am so grateful to everyone who made it happen.”

One of the recipients of this funding was Community Energy Plus, a charity based in Camborne who focus on supporting Cornwall’s most vulnerable – especially during the cold winter months. They used their funding to provide items such as hot water bottles, slow cookers, flasks, draught excluders and many other low cost, energy efficient measures to keep individuals warm without the fear of unmanageable bills. 

Another recipient to benefit from this appeal was Winning Steps South West CIC, an organisation who work with some of the most vulnerable and hard to reach members of our society, helping them to engage with life, with their community, and live full and independent lives. Many of these individuals have physical and/or mental health issues, low self-esteem, poor social skills and lack emotional resilience. This particular funding was used to provide pre-prepared meals, food vouchers and support in addressing fuel poverty.

Tamas Haydu, CEO of CCF said:

 “It is so wonderful to see the people of Cornwall supporting their communities and helping those in less fortunate circumstances due to the rising cost of living crisis. We’re delighted to have built such a strong partnership between CCF, Transformation Cornwall and Crowdfunder which has been pivotal in making this appeal such a success. We are so grateful to them and everyone who donated, this money has made such a difference to the people who needed it most.”

If you’re a charity or organisation looking for funding to support those less fortunate in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, click here to find out more about our available grants.