Learn more about current funding and its impact
National Lottery
Community Fund
As the Friday Night Charity (FNC), we received the first National Lottery Community fund grant in 2021, which enabled the charity to establish itself at the Scout Hut, where we reside today. The grant also enabled us to establish salaries for staff and to acquire the necessary resources for activities for our members. Volunteers also enhanced our activities programme enhancing the quality of the services we could provide. Regular checks and reports were held by the National Lottery which continued to impress too.
In 2023 it was time to apply for another grant of money, however this time it was a match-funded grant. This made the Trustees rethink their funding strategy, which led to a name change and rebrand (from FNC to Key to joy) that would help make the charity more appealing commercially for further funding avenues. It was also decided that Key to joy required an experienced marketer / fundraiser to help secure the future of the charity.
The National Lottery Community Fund helped with the rebrand and also new bank accounts. The Trustees submitted the Charity’s application, and we were very pleased to be given our requested amount as a match-funded grant. This meant that over the next 5 years we would receive shrinking amounts every 6 months so that by 2028 we would be financially self-sufficient. This was followed by our 5-year financial strategy plan to raise the funds necessary.
We are so grateful to everyone at the National Lottery Community Fund who have and continued to support us. This support gives the Key to joy the means to give our 76 neurodivergent members a full programme of activities, clubs and a community they enjoy. You can learn more about the National Lottery Community Fund, here.
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