District wide fundraising effort to launch next week

Good afternoon

Across the district we have seen enormous pressures on a number of our local charities who have seen the double whammy of reduced income and a huge rise in the need for their services.

I am pleased to say that Sevenoaks District Council will be supporting and coordinating a fundraising effort for these vital local charities under the banner ‘Sevenoaks District Communities Together’ and through a crowdfunding website.

The four local charities are:

• Age UK (Sevenoaks and Tonbridge) - Providing independent living advice, support and activities for older people
• Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services (DAVSS) - Supporting women and men experiencing domestic abuse
• Friends for Families (Sevenoaks) - A small charity working in the Sevenoaks District to help families facing financial hardship
• West Kent Mind - A charity promoting positive mental health and supporting people with mental health problems

All of these local charities are doing incredible work and keeping vulnerable residents across the district safe during the current situation. It is vital they can continue their important work so we want to help raise as much money as possible for them. Sevenoaks District Council will be supporting the appeal and will match every donation made, up to a maximum total of £5,000. Our initial target is to reach £10,000 but we really hope to exceed that.

The fundraising website is being hosted by ‘Spacehive’ and you can view it here www.spacehive.com/sevenoaks-district-communities-together. Spacehive has kindly waived its admin charges for this appeal. It will say charges are taken when a pledge is made but all the money will be refunded back once the appeal is over.

‘Sevenoaks District Communities Together’ will be launching this appeal to the public next week.

Kind regards

Cllr Peter Fleming

Leader of Sevenoaks District Council