Supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the UK
Although we do charge Local Authorities fees to fund our core service we believe that our children need and deserve more. This means that everything that we receive in donations goes directly to improve and enrich our children’s lives and life chances.
Whether you make a donation, fundraise for us or host one of our collection boxes you will be helping children recover from traumatic experiences and rebuild their lives.
Broadly speaking we use fundraised money for three purposes:
Despite lots of media attention around care leavers it is an uncomfortable truth that many children leaving the care system receive inadequate support. Without the network of family and friends that most 16-25 year olds take for granted, with difficult living arrangements and challenges entering the workforce many feel overwhelmed, alone and lost. This means that many care leavers remain extremely vulnerable and prey for those who would seek to exploit them for their own gain.
It is not surprising then that the outcomes for those leaving care are so different from the general population. We know from the statistics that are widely available just how wide the gap is. Across every measure from mental health, homelessness, prison population, prostitution, substance misuse and so on, care leavers are disproportionately represented.
However, with your help we can continue to provide regular and meaningful support for those leaving our care. We can continue to act as an advocate and ensure they have good quality and stable accommodation. We can support them to understand their finances and take the next step in their education or their first step into work. Most importantly, we can be there when something goes wrong to pick them up and help get their lives back on track.
This is not easy work, there is no one-size-fits-all approach and no quick fix. It takes time, dedication and the generosity of our supporters and so working together we can help vulnerable young people build a safe and secure future.
We look to provide our children with life enriching experiences that all children have the right to enjoy. This might include paying membership fees to join a local club, providing equipment to pursue a hobby or a trip to London to see a play at the theatre. From time to time we also fund really special trips abroad and in the last few years we have had groups go to France, Holland and even an overnight stay for our younger children to meet Father Christmas in Lapland. These experiences have a huge impact on our children and provide them with a positive focus and happy memories of their childhood that will last a lifetime.
We want our children to have the very best facilities and environment and are always looking for ways we can make improvements. In recent years we have added new classrooms at our School to provide vocational education courses and new activity rooms for some of our children’s homes. Over the next few years we will be focusing on improving our therapy rooms and creating peaceful and relaxing outdoor spaces for therapy sessions to take place. We will also be looking to improve the sports facilities on our main site at Smeeth with a new Multi-Use Games Area for use by our School, children’s homes and the wider community.
Whether you are looking to make a one-off or regular donation the easiest way to give is through our online portal which is powered by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/6336#/DonationDetails
If you would prefer not to donate online then you can send us a cheque, postal order or CAF voucher along with a completed Postal Donation Form to:
Fundraising Department
Caldecott House
Hythe Road
Smeeth
Ashford
Kent TN25 6SP
Giving a donation through your company is great way for you to show your support for Caldecott and in most cases you will be able to claim back the tax when you complete your Company Tax Return. It is also worth thinking about setting up a payroll giving scheme to allow your employees to donate to charity.
If you are thinking of making or amending your Will then it is the perfect time to consider whether you want to make a legacy gift to charity. Although it is not difficult, there are a few legal bits that need to be correct to ensure that your wishes are fulfilled. Therefore, in order to give you peace of mind we would always recommend that your Will is written by a Solicitor.
We know that there are lots of people out there with the passion and determination to become a fundraising champion for our children. It doesn’t matter whether you are taking on a marathon, hosting an event, placing a collection box or collecting in memory of a loved one in your own house, it has never been easier to manage sponsorship and donations through our JustGiving page.
We all know people who have done some extraordinary things to raise money for charity. Why not make the decision today to take on your own challenge? They are so many things you could do and these are just some ideas to start you thinking:
You don’t have to jump out of a plane to make a big difference to our children’s lives. Whether you are an individual, community group, company or school, all you need is an idea and bags of enthusiasm. The best ideas are usually linked to an interest you enjoy, something silly and fun or a personal challenge that people want to support you to overcome. Just to get you thinking, how about:
All donations, both big and small, are important to us and if you have a suitable area where we can place a collection box such as a reception, by the photocopier or at your tills, then let us know by emailing fundraising@caldecottfoundation.co.uk
Starting a collection in memory of a loved one is a thoughtful way to commemorate their life whilst helping vulnerable children get the future they deserve. This is easy to set up through JustGiving and then all you need to do is let friends and family know the address of your page.
