A service to match community groups, charities, schools, colleges and others with generous businesses who want to help them has been set up in Trafford.
A service to match community groups, charities, schools, colleges and others with generous businesses who want to help them has been set up in Trafford.
The Match My Project website is now live for postings from local companies and organisations that would like to donate to good causes or carry out work for free.
Many businesses want to help communities as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Value commitments but do not necessarily know who would like their help.
And plenty of voluntary, community, charity and third-sector organisations would love to get support from local firms but may not know who they could ask.
Now Trafford Council has teamed up with the national Match My Project initiative to create the online hub to bring people together.
It will be officially launched at the Council’s latest Business Breakfast at Stretford Public Hall on Thursday 18 June.
The move fits in with the Council’s Our Trafford, Our Future 2024 to 2027 vision to ensure all residents, businesses and communities thrive.
Match My Project is a digital social value platform connecting businesses, suppliers and developers with VCFSE organisations, schools and colleges to promote and deliver meaningful social value opportunities.
The platform is free to use for all users to register and post their asks or their offers offers.
That could include small amounts of funding for community initiatives, business skills and expertise, employee volunteering time, or work experience placements, job and work placement opportunities.
The scheme has already created success stories including Far East Consortium, which is currently working on development proposals in Trafford in partnership with the Council, which dedicated time and money to youth arts charity Gorse Hill Studios among other recipents.
Natasha Tate, Community Development Coordinator at FEC, said:
“We originally planned to paint some railings for the studios but rainy weather led us to come up with an alternate plan to help clear the art rooms for renovation.
“When the rain stopped we also planted some trees. We donated some paint and materials for the rail painting and we will come back again soon to get this done. One of our contractors, PP O’Connor, also donated £100 to the project.
Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration, said:
“We are delighted to launch Match My Project in Trafford and hope it will kickstart many fruitful partnerships and collaborations in the borough for many years to come.
“We have so many community-conscious businesses and organisations who want to give something back to our neighbourhoods. Now they can find people and projects to get involved with that are ready and waiting.
“Equally, so many non-profit-making groups, schools, colleges and other establishments are in need of help – time, money, materials, expertise. Now they have a way to pinpoint willing businesses with all sorts of useful resources to come to their assistance.”