A warm thank you to our funders

Our main source of income continues to be generated from applications to Trusts for charitable grants. Further work has been done to develop support from the statutory partners as our work expands and this has started to become more fruitful. The nature of Link Up is one of empowerment and this extends to our funding where we empower groups and projects which develop with our support, to become semi-autonomous and access funding and earned income directly. This helps to sustain services for the long term whilst not drawing on our core income indefinitely.

The Big Lottery have given us a new grant to fund a Transition Project for young people moving from children’s to adult’s services. This is an exciting area for Link Up and will bring together all of the facets of our work including volunteers, community networks, the experience gained in our Inclusions Project and our links with schools in Harrow. The project will help young people with Learning Disabilities to review existing Transition Plans and to ensure they are implemented.

This grant, which was approved in June 2004, has enabled us to provide support to a wide range of activities from volunteering and travel training to empowering the independent development of individuals and groups under our Inclusions Project.

Our sincere thanks go to the Bridge House Trust who approved a new grant of £60,000 spread over three years for our work supporting young people with learning disabilities. With specific outcomes to meet, this work will empower children and young people to take up their place in the community and increase their life chances with packages of support provided by volunteers and staff from Link Up.

It was a particularly delightful day when we got the news that Esmee Fairbairn had agreed to support the Link Up Inclusions Project with a grant of £14,000 over two years for the Project Manager’s salary. Apart from the knowledge that the project would be able to continue its valuable work it also showed recognition for the innovative range of learning opportunities that the project provides. People with learning disabilities need individualised support to make the most of the education system and vocational learning opportunities in some very essential skills such as being able to travel independently and using their natural skills which often do not fit into mainstream educational classes. The concentration of work needed in this area may be difficult to sustain but the results in the many successes Link Up has had are profound and very worthwhile.

Our work with Harrow Council has grown and their continued support has enabled us to maintain our basic core service. Referrals from Social Services and other sections of the council are received on a regular basis. We have also developed close links with a number of council led initiatives in Youth, Education, Culture and Social Inclusion. The grant for the year of £10,823 contributes towards our volunteer support resources and the recruitment and training of our volunteers.

City Parochial Foundation confirmed the award of a two-year grant of £20,000 for our Inclusions Project in April 2005. This follows a three year grant which enabled the Inclusions project to get up and running and gain recognition as one of the top three projects in the country under the National Lottery 10th Anniversary Awards, something that the whole team are very proud of. Our special thanks go to the Trustees for having continued faith in Link Up and enabling a new, modern project to show what can be achieved in a small way by meeting specific, individual needs of people with learning disabilities.

The Junior 1:1 club has gone from strength to strength with attendance building, some very special volunteers who have been committed to the club on a long term basis and activities for parents and carers. The club provides a regular opportunity for children and young people to make friends and have fun while learning through interactive teaching sessions.

The Sobell Foundation have been supporters of Link Up over many years. In April 2005 we received the second part of a three year grant of £5,000 p.a. for our volunteer co-ordination work including recruiting, training and supporting volunteers.

Other funds were received from a number of people whom we wish to thank: London Catalyst, True Colours Trust, The Lynn Foundation, Pinner Rotary Club, Peter De Haan Charitable Trust, The Albert Hunt Trust, The Sydney Black Charitable Trust, UIA Charitable Foundation, Jack Petchy Foundation, Christopher Laing Foundation, Carers Support Harrow and Mr Atul Radia. Over the year many more people helped to keep our services going. Thanks must go to all of them in whatever way they helped.