Charities chosen for Greenham Trust quintuple matched funding bonanza

The first two charities participating in Greenham Trust’s ‘£25k in a Day’ event have been selected.

Newbury Riding for the Disabled (RDA), and Age Concern Newbury and District – which runs the Fair Close Centre – have been chosen for the opportunity to raise more than £31,000 in one day.

On May 27 for Age Concern and May 31 for Newbury RDA, the charities will benefit from quintuple matched funding from the trust, meaning that for each £1 raised over the 24 hour period, the trust will award £5 in matched funding.

With Gift Aid, this can take the total achievable to £31,250.

Newbury RDA is looking to raise money to build an outdoor arena with an all-weather surface at its stables at Wyld Court in Hampstead Norreys.

Age Concern Newbury meanwhile will be fundraising to replace obsolete heating and hot water boilers with high efficiency condensing boilers at the Fair Close Centre.

This equipment is urgently needed to maintain the effective running of the building and the essential meals on wheels service relied on by vulnerable elderly members of the community.

Newbury RDA secretary and trustee Catherine Wilson said: “Newbury RDA is absolutely thrilled to be part of ‘£25k in a Day’.

“The outdoor arena will have huge benefits for our riders, ponies and volunteers.”

The charity will be holding a sponsored walk, run and cycle on May 29 to raise money for the event and will be collecting money on the day – but money donated to the project directly must be done on May 31 to be eligible for the matched funding.

Josie Reed, chair of trustees for Age Concern Newbury and District, said: “The chance to raise over £30,000 in a day is a rare one and I am hugely grateful to Greenham Trust for giving us this opportunity.

“Yet again the trust comes to our rescue as we face a crisis, this time the need to replace old heating and hot water boilers at the Fair Close Centre.

“How lucky we are to have the Greenham Trust to help us at critical moments such as this.”

Greenham Trust chief executive Chris Boulton said: “We are delighted to be supporting Newbury RDA and Age Concern Newbury and District with our ‘£25k in a Day’ fundraising initiative, part of our 25th anniversary calendar of activities.

“We received a large number of high-quality applications but these two projects stood out for much-needed capital items which may not otherwise go ahead.”

To donate and see your donations quintupled, visit https://greenhamtrust.com/25kinaday.

Three more charitable organisations will have the opportunity to apply for ‘£25k in a Day’ events in the autumn.

Details are available at https://greenhamtrust.com/25kinaday

The deadline for applications is Friday, July 15.