More than £100,000 divvied out to dozens of charities from Louis Baylis Trust

More than £100,000 has been granted to charities and organisations serving Maidenhead and the surrounding areas this November.

Beneficiaries of the Louis Baylis Trust donations include key community-driven groups, such as Thames Hospice and Age Concern Slough and Berkshire East (SABE).

Donations have ranged from a few hundred pounds for small organisations like scout groups to £12,500 for Citizens Advice East Berkshire (CAEB).

Jeremy Sandell, CEO of CAEB, said the service has seen a 10 per cent rise in phone calls from across Maidenhead, which amounts to 600 or 700 people a month.

At the beginning of October, it started hosting drop-ins on Monday and Wednesday – something new, and an addition to prearranged face-to-face help.

People to Places is another significant benefactor, being granted £4,125 in the latest funding round.

The accessibility charity helps the less mobile get out and about with its minibus service.

CEO Peter Haley said the money will help with its recruitment events and with training.

In particular, it is training two of its volunteers to train other drivers, under the Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS), a nationally recognised standard.

“That will help us keep the up standards for our drivers,” said Peter. “We’ve got to be confident that they’re competent not just in driving but in liaising with people.”

He added that the usage of People to Places’ services is ‘going up all the time’.

“We have got a lot of pressure on our system at the moment,” he said.

Greater recruitment of volunteers will help manage the load.

Community events have also benefitted from some money from the Trust, including the Maidenhead Christmas Lights Committee, Maidenhead Drama Festival and the Lions Club Swimarathon.

Another chunk of money has gone to Maidenhead Talking Newspaper, which allows people with vison impairments to enjoy recorded readings of news from the ’Tiser.

The support spans long-time supporters like Thames Hospice to newcomers like the Crackerjack Children’s Trust.

“I think it’s really across the board,” said chairman of the trustees at the Louis Baylis Trust, Peter Sands.

“These things are really needed in times of austerity and difficult economic situations. “We have not turned anyone down – we have given all applications some [funds]. I think that’s a first.”

Louis Baylis Trust donations agreed at Trustee meeting on November 23:

• Elizabeth House, Cookham (Age Concern) £720
• Citizens Advice East Berkshire – £12,500
• Salvation Army (Maidenhead) – £1,000
• Berkshire MS Therapy Centre – £2,000
• Thames Valley Adventure Playground – £1,000
• Family Friends in Windsor & Maidenhead – £1,000
• Great Ormond Street Hospital – £1,000
• Thames Hospice – £2,000
• Maidenhead Christmas Lights Committee – £5,000
• Norden Farm Centre for the Arts – £2,000
• The Berkshire Masonic Charity – £2,000
• Motor Neurone Disease Association – £2,000
• ReVitalise – £1,000
• The British Forces Foundation – £1,000
• Twyford Together Christmas Fayre – £500
• Beehive Pre-School – £500
• Rotary Club of Maidenhead Thames Santa Grotto – £500
• Target Ovarian Cancer – £1,000
• The Sequela Foundation – £900
• Cox Green CG2000 – £290
• Ufton Court Educational Trust – £980
• Shining Star Productions – £400
• Windsor Parish Church with All Saints – £1,000
• Men's Matters Windsor/ Maidenhead – £1,000
• Alexander Devine Children's Hospice Service – £2,500
• Windsor Horse Rangers – £1,000
• Slough Immigration Aid Unit – £2,850
• Busy Buttons CORE – £1,000
• Lions Club of Windsor – £1,000
• Wild Cookham – £1,500
• Eton Town Council – £500
• Crackerjack Children’s Trust – £750
• Windsor Eton & Ascot Christmas Lights – £1,000
• Bisham Nest Box Group – £500

Total carried forward: £105,000