A GOOD YEAR [from the Trustees Annual Report 2015/16]
Thanks to the wonderful support of many, The Moira Fund has had another good year and has responded positively to all requests for help
Grants were made to 41 families referred by the Police, HVS, VSS, Probation Service, Social Services Edinburgh, and Emotion and Trauma Support Manchester. Generous grants were also made to other traumatic bereavement charities – the Victims Fund of VSS and Assist Trauma, Rugby
A number of fund-raising events were held to finance these grants:
The second Moira’s Run in Queen’s Park, Glasgow, and a similarly successful Ladies Luncheon in Glasgow, both organised for us by The Violence Reduction Unit of Police Scotland; a national Prize Draw for holidays donated by Thomson Holidays;
Moira’s Anniversary Challenge – a long distance sponsored cycle ride from Glasgow to Weston, Staffs; A Night to Remember – a social evening in Stone, Staffordshire; many took part in other sponsored events such as the Great Scottish Run, The West Highland Way, the Great Mudder, a 6-hour cycle at Pure Gym and 10k runs.
A personal wedding car service, and jewellery recycling scheme continue to raise funds.
To raise awareness and promote the charity, Bea Jones as Chair of The Fund, has stated its aims and given progress reports whenever appropriate at formal events and informal meetings. Patrons of the Fund, Elaine C Smith and Dame Elish Angiolini have also reinforced these remarks in speeches and quotations to the press.
A number of events have attracted media attention, in particular Moira’s Run and Moira’s Anniversary Challenge, and this resulted in radio and television interviews in Glasgow and Staffordshire, given by the Chair, Trustees and supporters, and excellent features and photo coverage in the press.
The Moira Fund continues to be run by unpaid volunteers working from home and so overheads are kept to a minimum. All donations made are used, almost entirely, to help those distressed by the murder of a loved one.