78% of charity funds raised in Suffolk spent outside the county, research shows: https://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk-charities-and-anthony-horowitz-campaign-1-6678380
ORWELL AHEAD ASKS how much longer are Suffolk's charities, Suffolk's local government and New Anglia LEP going to ignore the obvious?!
Not only is money pouring out, but we are losing out on vital funding too. Since the National lottery began 20 years ago,
Suffolk has applied for 4600 grants, securing £267m in funding. Sounds good, until you compare it to our similar situated cousins.
Norfolk secured 40% more bids and 50% more funding; 6400 bids securing £394m.
Kings Lynn won £10m more than Bury St Edmunds.
Gt Yarmouth won £13m more than Lowestoft/Waveney;
But the real ball-breaker is that Norwich won twice as many bids and a staggering £103m more than Suffolk’s similar sized capital of Ipswich!
Sadly, this only serves to highlight Suffolk’s failure to understand, or support, the former proud county-borough. Why is it that Suffolk’s urban areas are funding failures? We asked a funding expert. The brutal feedback was that
Suffolk has fewer national or large voluntary organisations able to leverage the bigger funds.
Suffolk lacks the clout, cooperation, resources and support to plan, bid and deliver major projects.
Suffolk is viewed as “comfortable”, “quaint and rural”, “little deprivation or lottery funding demand”.
Norfolk supports and has ambition for its capital of Norwich, Suffolk does not do this for Ipswich. #alwaysletdownthecountytown
So what needs to be done to reverse this unacceptable trend? Orwell Ahead has continuously called for LEP inspired “funding incubators” for Ipswich & Felixstowe area. To encourage, help administer, fully support, and increase funding applications and bids for this area
We actually have outstanding talent in Suffolk’s charitable sector.
We recommend to set up a Business & Academic group for greater Ipswich area, and bring in funding heavy weights. David Sheepshanks, Stephen Singleton and Doug Field should lead a high level review and set up a “Ipswich & Suffolk Funding Forum” with ambitious targets to match Norwich & Norfolk.
New Anglia LEP should get away from their Norfolk offices, and provide the funds, resources, expertise and staff.
Suffolk County Council and Suffolk’s Boroughs and Districts should contribute high level representation and a budget.
Many of the groups/people in Suffolk who need funding most are least equipped to apply for it, so the forum should send in experts to support through to completion.
The forum must identify Ipswich & Suffolk’s bigger groups with the clout and knowledge to make major, multiple bids; and give them extra resource, support and cooperation to establish a “bid production line”.
In addition to supporting capital fund raising for schemes and projects, Ipswich and Suffolk’s charitable organisations desperately need long term funding support for essential, on-going, operational budgets. Otherwise they are bound to collapse at some future stage.
However, sadly because this is an Ipswich issue, Suffolk will continue to ignore it!
