Berkshire Community Foundation – Our Chosen Charity for December 2021

Each month, we’ll be making a ￡1,000 donation to a charity nominated by one of the YFM team.

David Wrench, Partner within our Reading office, discusses his support for Berkshire Community Foundation

Q????????????What is Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF)?

BCF is Berkshire’s charitable hub, ?working across the county to raise and distribute money directly to vital local causes which support and improve the lives of the most disadvantaged in our community. Every year BCF awards grants to wide range of local projects and organisations as well as providing advice, networking and skills support in order to raise the profile of local charities and community groups addressing vital needs across Berkshire, including child poverty, homelessness, physical and mental health and isolation.

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Q????????????How have you been involved and why have you chosen to support the charity?

Having worked across the Thames Valley for over two decades now, YFM officially established a permanent base here in June and we were keen to support a worthwhile local cause as part of our commitment to the region and local community.

After living here for most of my life, and spending all of my working life in the local market, I’ve been aware of BCF and seen some of the results of the fantastic work they do supporting local charities and community groups. Consequently, when the YFM team wanted to mark the launch of our new Reading office in the town’s Thames Tower, we thought it would be a great opportunity to do some fundraising for the foundation at the same time.

In November, we held a drinks reception at the top of Thames Tower for guests from across the local business community as well as YFM’s senior partners and investment team. We organised a raffle and auction as part of the event as a way of raising funds for BCF. Prizes were donated by companies in the YFM portfolio including Frescobol Carioca, Tonkotsu, Arraco Global Markets, The Protein Works and Professional Music Technology (PMT). The wider Thames Valley business community also contributed prizes to the raffle including London Cocktail Club, HMT, NVM and Wingate Point.

Thanks to the generosity of these businesses, colleagues and guests, we succeeded in raising almost ￡3,000 for the foundation and thought we could boost this by nominating BCF as YFM’s December charity, adding another ￡1,000 to our donation.

Q????????????What will YFM’s donation be used for?

YFM’s donation will be added to the foundation’s funds which are used to support a wide range of local community groups. For example, in October, BCF announced that its latest round of funding will focus broadly on charities that tackle the needs of key groups such as children and young people, older people, those with disabilities and those who continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jon Yates, CEO of Berkshire Community Foundation, comments:

“We are delighted and very grateful for this donation from YFM Equity Partners and wish them great success in their new office in Reading.?Helping local businesses like YFM to support those in need in their communities is a major part of our work.?In the wake of the pandemic crisis, the wonderful local charities that we support have seen increasing demand for their services and we expect this to continue.?It is the continued generosity of philanthropic local firms and individuals that allows us to ensure that Berkshire’s voluntary sector continue to play its vital role in tackling local needs and issues and make a real difference in people’s lives.”

More About BCF

Berkshire Community Foundation (BCF) is Berkshire’s charitable hub: connecting people who care with causes that matter. For over 35 years it has worked across Berkshire to raise, then distribute, money directly to vital local causes. It is part of a network of 47 accredited Community Foundations across the UK, affiliated to the UK Community Foundations membership organisation.

Each year it awards grants to a wide range of local projects and organisations. It provides advice, networking and skills support, and raises the profile of local charities and community groups addressing vital needs across Berkshire including child poverty, homelessness, physical and mental health and isolation.

BCF works alongside philanthropic individuals, businesses and organisations to raise funds and guide their giving decisions, helping to maximise the positive impact of their contributions on local communities.

For more information please visit: www.berkshirecf.org

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