Member Article

Enterprising Newcastle Charity on the hunt for business backers

A Newcastle-based charity shortlisted for Charity of the Year in the Newcastle Business Awards is on the hunt for businesses to pledge to its first ever crowdfunding campaign before the deadline in less than two weeks.

The Millin Charity’s Local Women Local Enterprise project provides training and support to women who see self-employment as a route out of poverty for themselves and their families.

Sarah Miller, the charity’s Chief Executive, said: “Through supporting local women to be more enterprising we have become more enterprising as a charity too, and our ‘A Chance To Trade’ crowdfunding campaign with UK-based Crowdfunder.co.uk is just one example.

“Women have told us that they want to have a chance to trial trade their products, to give them the confidence they need to start out on their own. We need to raise £10,000 to help 50 women get a chance to trade, and also to access small grants to buy raw materials and equipment, which they can’t afford on their own.”

The Chair of Trustees, Richard Simpson, who joined the Charity seven years ago, said: “We are proud of our work to help women recognise that, despite having little in the way of qualifications and experience, the skills they do have are valuable assets that could help them into self-employment.

“With the help of local businesses we can raise funds to give more women a chance to improve prospects for themselves, their families and their communities. We don’t expect businesses to give their hard earned cash for nothing; in return for their pledges of between £50 and £500 we will promote their services at our regular local trading events in Newcastle and Gateshead, through our social media presence, and in our new headquarters at The Beacon on Westgate Road which has a lot of passing trade.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jayne Graham .