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David Cameron salutes Dispossessed campaign as we reach £500,000
Jonathan Prynn and David Cohen30 Jul 2010
The Evening Standard's Dispossessed Fund has smashed through the £500,000 barrier thanks to Londoners' amazingly generous response to our appeal.
The Fund, aimed at helping groups and charities working with the capital's most deprived people, now stands at £544,000 just 10 days after its launch and is more than halfway to hitting its £1 million target.
David Cameron said: “I congratulate the Evening Standard on this magnificent achievement. The Dispossessed Campaign has stirred London's conscience and will have a big impact in helping people to climb their way out of poverty.”
As well as major contributions from business leaders and companies, readers have dug deep into their pockets — with credit card donations of almost £60,000 so far.
Evening Standard Editor Geordie Greig said: “The generosity of Londoners is equal to none. The response to our campaign highlighting poverty in the capital, where four out of 10 children live below the poverty line, has struck a deep chord. Money has come in from pensioners almost on the breadline, as well as the most successful businessmen. I am confident that London's heartfelt concern for others will mean we reach our target of raising £1 million.”
The latest contributions came from two charitable groups — the Cripplegate Foundation, which is giving us £45,000, and the Thames Community Foundation, with a £60,000 donation.
Nigel Hay, director of Thames Community Foundation, said: “We share the Evening Standard's concern at the plight of the poor in the capital.
“We are already committed to improving the lives of Londoners in the city's west and south-west. We are delighted to support the Evening Standard's Dispossessed Fund and can confirm that we are pledging £60,000 of new capital endowment.
“The income from this amount will go to support local groups working to help London's dispossessed.”
Cripplegate Foundation director Kristina Glenn said: “We are delighted to support the Standard's Dispossessed Campaign, which highlights poverty and inequality.”
Other donors said they were thrilled that their giving had helped the Fund to get off to such a flying start.
London's Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy, who gave £3,484 — one per cent of his salary — said: “Well done everyone. Now let's crack on to the million pound mark. Let's lay down a challenge to other public figures in London to give one per cent of their salaries to the Fund.” The total amount raised will be matched pound for pound by the Government's Grassroots Grants programme — and will rise even further with a top-up from gift aid.
Money raised by the Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund will be handed out in the form of grants to charities tackling poverty across London.
Charities can bid for grants of between £500 and £2,000 , through our website. Our charity partner, the Community Foundation Network, will work with an Evening Standard advisory board to distribute the money.
Stephen Hammersley, chief executive of the Community Foundation Network, which co-ordinates the distribution of grants, said: “It is hugely moving to see so many people dig deep and respond so generously to the Standard's Dispossessed Fund. I'm sure we can go all the way to £1 million now.”
Reader views (12)
Which of the charities that will benefit from the Standard's Dispossessed Fund can we engage to help the homeless in our area? On Praed St (W2) this evening there were 3 people begging within 100 yards of each other. It would be helpful to have a searchable site that donors can check to see what agencies are benefiting from support in each local area, and contact details.
- GTW, London, UK, 01/08/2010 23:42
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newly born children are being dispossed every day around the world period. what dispossesed 'child tax savings accounts!!!' are you talking about. Have you landed yet mister?
- TC, london, 01/08/2010 20:59
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As from today newly born children have been Dis-Possessed of their child tax savings accounts!!!
Same old Tories funny how Public Schools have not been Dis-Possessed of their charity status with the hundereds of millions saved used to fund the "Building Schools for the Future!".
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 01/08/2010 17:39
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Here is what you have to look at:
1) you are country with your hands out all the time
2) you could be in debt, but you have to have that holiday every year - what is that about. Fund is good for this.
3) imagine yourself walking around with your hands out all the time, but still thinking you are great. Where does that come from.
4) if you were in Romania you will be living in the slums, but here 5 kids and it is a million dollar mansion, walking around with your hands out all the time.
5) Dispossesed fund - and that hand entended a couple of inches more.
6) You spend monday mornings sunbathing in the park when the citizen keeping you is working.
7) you stole from the world to keep you in comfort and you steal from each other to do the same - then you added the word 'Great' in from of Britain.
You are just a great bunch of thieves.
- telford, india, 01/08/2010 14:33
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Meant to add, what is the alternative if these people are not treated half decently when moving on, they'll return somewhere else in the EU and the immigration control will never be successful enough. And not, allowing for the cap on immigration, here for instance, to be more flexible down the line, where/when needed. As countries develop, people will be leaving here, Britain, naturally, in some future, people born here too, I imagine, so I don't understand the ill treatment for some minorities, it isn't a lifelong problem, to assist them in their own countries, if having to return, referring to Roma people, in this sentence. The neglect by some governments of their own people in many countries is another, long comment, re. why some illegals are here for instance. Never ending topic. Should not have started, incomplete.
- M, London, 31/07/2010 20:02
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Pity they did'nt come up with this sooner,I did'nt know what a Banana was until 1951.
- Davey_buoy, Chertsey, 31/07/2010 17:28
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Whilst it is great for Cameron to salute the Evening Standard's work on this, and it is brilliant work from the paper. It seems to have gone un-noted that the £ for £ initiative that the fund is benefiting from was a Labour one. An initiative that the Coalition government have already said they won't be continuing!
- Vaux, London UK, 30/07/2010 16:30
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I wonder what effect he thinks that his austerity plan will have on the poorest people in our society?
- NJ, London,
Well its simple NJ; the poorest will continue to be dispossessed; this has always been the way of Capitalism, and even under New Labour Socialism.
Remembering that without poverty; wealth would mean nothing.
Over fed people would not feel as smug, if the poor were as well fed as they are.
Likewise; the rich would be calling the poor scroungers; if the poor were as well off as they are.
Mind you; the rich avoid taxation, so its really down to the middle classes to pick up all the bills etc.
- mickinlondon, london, 30/07/2010 16:03
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Well that’s nice of him. So will he also acknowledge that it was the policies of the last Tory government that reversed the trend of decades of a narrowing gap between the rich and poor and created the inequities that caused this disposed underclass? And I wonder what effect he thinks that his austerity plan will have on the poorest people in our society?
- NJ, London, 30/07/2010 14:42
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Just use your scroll wheel Croyboy; until you reach the news section, then there is no glitch.
- mickinlondon, london, 30/07/2010 13:56
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For God's sake LOOK at this sectiuon, and please fix the glitch!
- Croyboy, Croydon, UK, 30/07/2010 13:42
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David Cameron said: “I congratulate the Evening Standard on this magnificent achievement. The Dispossessed Campaign has stirred London's conscience and will have a big impact in helping people to climb their way out of poverty.”
As a politician, David; do your bit as well; OK.
- mickinlondon, london, 30/07/2010 13:30
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