United Response nominated to take part in innovative giving programme
The national disability charity, United Response, has been nominated to participate in a new innovative giving programme run by Nesta and funded by the Cabinet Office.
The Open Innovation Programme is an initiative of the Innovation in Giving Fund launched last September. It will bring together 28 charities with a national reach to share fundraising knowledge and best practice, and to create and develop new fundraising approaches to engage more people in giving.
Over the next three months, the charities will receive coaching and peer support to develop their innovative concepts before being invited to submit proposals to take the ideas to scale and to receive funding support. Successful applicants will then be selected later this year to receive a share of £1.5m funding from the Innovation in Giving Fund, as well as non-financial support, to implement their ideas.
Diane Lightfoot, United Response’s Director of Fundraising and Communication, said:
“The Open Innovation programme is an exciting new opportunity for charities to meet the common challenges presented by the current economic climate together and United Response is delighted to part of the process.
“As a top 100 national charity with more than 250 services across the country, we have the credibility, experience and networks to ensure that innovation is disseminated as widely as possible, and has a truly national impact.
“We are very much looking forward to meeting our partners and taking forward some exciting new ideas.”
Helen Goulden, from Nesta, said:
“The Open Innovation programme sets its sights firmly on working with charities who have identified big challenges they want to work on to increase giving. The charities that have been selected into the programme have demonstrated a real appetite and ambition to work with people and ideas from outside the sector to develop high-impact solutions and take great innovations in giving to scale.”
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For further information please contact Sarah Bartlett or Jaime Gill in the United Response Press Office on 020 8246 5237/ 07980915749 or 0208 246 5122 or email jaime.gill@unitedresponse.org.uk or sarah.bartlett@unitedresponse.org.uk
Notes to editors:
United Response is community based, working in many localities across England and Wales. We are a top 100 national charity with a turnover of over £60 million, employing more than 2,500 staff and working with around 2,000 people at any one time.
We provide everything from 24 hour care to a few hours of support a week. Our support is always designed around each person because we know one size does not fit all. Some people may require minimal support; those with complex needs may require considerably more.
We plough our resources back into ensuring the quality of the support we provide, particularly in training, and have been shortlisted for ten major awards in three years, winning a National Training Award. We are pioneers in the areas of communications and inclusion, with particular expertise in communicating in a simple and accessible way. We have worked with the Government and many major financial services organisations on making politics and financial information understandable for people with learning disabilities.
To find out more about United Response’s work go to www.unitedresponse.org.uk
Sarah Bartlett
Press Manager
United Response
Vantage House, 1 Weir Road,
London SW19 8UX
Direct line: 0208 246 5237
Email:sarah.bartlett@unitedresponse.org.uk
United Response is a national charity supporting adults with learning disabilities, mental health needs and physical disabilities.
To find out more, visit our website: http://www.unitedresponse.org.uk
Or follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/unitedresponse
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