Cut or run: how to survive the age of austerity?

Running a mile, “helping with belt tightening”: MCFB staff raise cash and support sponsors at the same time

This is a marathon race with a difference.  Recycling, running, and constantly exploring innovative new ways to raise money – Leith-based voluntary organisation Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB) demonstrates an inspiring determination to maintain vital services despite public spending cuts. Perhaps you also have a story to tell?  Meanwhile over to Becky Robertson office manager at MCFB…

“With tough competition for seemingly ever decreasing pots of funding, everyone here at MCFB has pulled together to try and shore up the money coming into the organisation using the motto ‘every little bit counts’.

With a belief in the value of the projects that we run and work that we do here at MCFB, it feels like a worthwhile effort helping the organisation through these difficult economic times.  In addition to the main funding applications and alongside cost cutting and belt tightening across the organisation, here are just some of the money generating  initiatives we have put in place:

We have started a keen running club (helping with the belt tightening!), who between them have managed to bring in a tidy sum in sponsorship for various events – from running 5k’s dressed as Santa Claus to beating personal bests at half marathons. This has also meant we were able to give something back to one of our key funders, when several of the staff ran a mile for Sport Relief.

We have set up an account with the Recycling Appeal, which allows you to put all your empty toner cartridges & unwanted mobile phones to good use. Through this appeal, every item recycled can earn money for MCFB. Very simple to use, a single phone call or visit to www.recyclingappeal.com (quoting Multi-Cultural Family Base) allows you order a free collection. You can also access this link through MCFB’s website.

We now have an online donation service that can be accessed via the MCFB website (www.mcfb.org.uk) which is run in conjunction with Charity Choice (an online charity directory service) and the Co-operative Bank. This allows any donations to be made easily and securely into MCFB’s account via the Charity Choice website. Again, please let any friends, family & colleagues know who might be interested in this new service.

We are currently in the preliminary stages of setting up a social enterprise scheme selling art cards to help fund our much valued Art Therapy service. With a wealth of creative and artistic resources to hand, we felt this was the perfect opportunity to capitalise on them. So start thinking about your Christmas card order and watch this space…

These are challenging times for everyone, but hopefully they will bring out the best in all of us, revealing hidden talents, abilities and a social conscience along the way!”

Multi-Cultural Family Base (based at 50 Coburg Street in Leith)  aims to enhance the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and their families directly and through the education and training of students in caring professions.