From left: Lord Lieutenant of Moray Seymour Monro, Debi Weir, Margaret Stenton (Chair) and Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire Andrew Simpson launch Moray Community Fund
The Moray Community Foundation (MCF) aims to be the fund of last resort and a “net which catches people” hit by the cost of living crisis.
Building on the success of the Moray Emergency Support Fund (MERF) Covid fund, the new charity aims to pair extensive local knowledge with experience to ease the burdens of those with nowhere left to turn.
Despite already receiving a strong response from donors, the MCF is inviting further donations to help them reach even more Moray folk in poverty.
MCF joint patrons the Lord Lieutenants of Moray and Banffshire launched the fund in Elgin on April 4.
Chairperson of MCF, and Deputy Lieutenant, Margaret Stenton and trustee Debi Weir, from charities R-evolution For Good and Moray School Bank, also attended the launch outside Moray Council’s headquarters.
Moray’s Lord Lieutenant Major General Seymour Monro said: “Like MERF, we are very much a fund of last resort. The net that catches people.
“But unlike MERF this fund is for the personal emergencies of specific individuals.
“Doing the assessing for MERF was hard work, but people came back and said: ‘You have saved us at a ghastly moment. You have given us hope.’
“That made it so worthwhile and I am sure this will be the same.”
Built up from donations from firms and individuals across Moray, families can now apply for crisis grants for fuel, food, fuel, and other essential costs from the fund.
MERF, raised £285,000 from around 200 donors which benefited 620 families and individuals during the pandemic.
Banffshire Lord Lieutenant Andrew Simpson said: “It is terrific to be launching this.
“It is great to get to the point where – due to our generous donors – we can begin supporting people.
“It’s wonderful that people in Moray want to come together and support each other.
“We can keep things local and provide the support without a huge amount of red tape.
“We will still do our due diligence, since we are dealing with donations, but we can respond quickly using local knowledge.”
Chairperson Mrs Stenton said: “It’s the community doing this – doing it for the benefit of the community.”
Trustee Ms Weir said: “I am really passionate about the community – community is the answer.
“The solution must come from the ground up.
“The pandemic showed that the community are committed to helping one another.
“We need to use that and continue that momentum.”
Applications require a reference from somebody familiar with the applicant’s finances.
Donations can be made to the below bank account:
Moray Community Foundation
Sort Code: 832006
Account No: 18895301
Donations can also be sent to MWF Chairperson, Mrs Margaret Stenton DL, Lower Whitefield House, Mosstowie, Elgin IV30 8TX.
A donation form may be downloaded from the Foundation’s website: https:/moraycf.org.
