59 charity projects helped thanks to efforts by greetings, gift and licensing community
Industry charity The Light Fund has raised an amazing £356,242 this year which is now being put to good use to fund 59 different charity projects in 2023 across the world.
“Thanks to an amazing effort from everyone 2022 is a record-breaking fundraising year for The Light Fund,” commented Trevor Jones, chairman of The Light Fund. “Whether you swam, ran, walked, crawled, bought raffle tickets, or answered quiz questions in the name of The Light Fund, we thank you.
“We will now be putting that money to good use to ensure 59 different charity projects – from established charities to very small local ones – can go ahead, helping thousands of men, women and children all over the world.”
This year’s record-breaking total was thanks to the very successful English Channel relay swim; raffles at events such as The Henries, The Retas, The Greats and The Licensing Awards; the annual treasure hunt; and quiz nights.
The staggering total means that The Light Fund has now raised over £2.1million and will have helped 164 different charities since its inception in 2004 when it was founded by PG’s Jakki Brown, Ian Hyder and some like-minded folk from the greeting card and licensing industries.
Submissions were invited from any UK-registered charities and The Light Fund committee and other major supporters then voted individually as to which charity projects they would most like to see funded.
The organisation’s committee and voters met on Tuesday night, 6 December, to be told which charity projects are being funded by this year’s donations.
They are: The ADD-Vance ADHD & Autism Trust, Annie Mawson’s Sunbeams Music Trust, Barons Court Project, Berkshire MS Therapy Centre, Birth Trauma Association, Bowel Cancer UK, The Brain Tumour Charity, Breast Cancer Now, Brittle Bone Society, Bromley Brighter Beginnings, Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), Carers Worldwide, The Children’s Trust, Chorley Youth Zone (Inspire), Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Cruse Bereavement Support, Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Golden Lion Children’s Trust, Happy Days Children’s Charity, Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, Hospice Of St Francis, Kidscape, London Wheelchair Rugby Club, Macmillan Cancer Support, Maggie’s, Martin House Children’s Hospice, Motor Neurone Disease Association, MS-UK, My Black Dog, New Life Special Babies Units, Newlife The Charity For Disabled Children, NSPCC, Orchid, Pancreatic Cancer UK, PTSD Resolution, Read For Good, RCN Foundation, Sands, Self-Injury Support, ShelterBox, Shine Cancer Support, The Sick Children’s Trust, The Snowdrop Project, Speech & Language UK, Spread A Smile, St Christopher’s Trust, Together For Short Lives, Tŷ Hafan, Voices Of Hope, We Reach UK, Whizz-Kidz, Winston’s Wish, World Child Cancer, and Youth Adventure Trust.
Details of the specific projects being funded – charities must have a UK registration but the work can be carried out anywhere in the world – and amounts received can be found on the official The Light Fund website by clicking here.
In addition, other donations made by The Light Fund during the course of 2022 are:
Amy Winehouse Foundation – £2,000
In Amy’s memory, the Foundation works to inspire children and young people to build their self-esteem and resilience, so they can flourish.
Motor Neurone Disease Association – £4,000
In memory of Really Good and Soul founder David Hicks, who passed away this year, and other business associates and friends that have died due to MND. This will go to further research into this dreadful disease.
RNLI – £71,250
By agreement with the marvellous Channel swimmers, this grant is to fund the ongoing work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers, saving lives at sea.
ShelterBox Pakistan Appeal – £5,000
Following catastrophic flooding in Pakistan this year, this donation helped provide tents, water filters, mosquito nets, blankets and mattresses to over 8,400 displaced men, women and children in Sindh province.
Ukraine DEC Appeal – £8,000
To provide aid for Ukrainian children displaced and traumatised following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Top: The Light Fund committee met on Tuesday
