Last year we became a social enterprise. It was an easy decision, because we realised that we exist to improve lives. Not just for those who can afford it, but anyone who needs it.
Many of our regulars live with chronic illnesses, finding that money is often tight. Or they are retired people on modest incomes. As such, we have committed to keeping our class prices affordable – we don’t enforce subscriptions or upfront payments, only charging for the classes our clients attend.
It is one of the reasons we have set up a crowdfunding page
Current funding
Since becoming a social enterprise, we have won a number of grants, including ones from UNLtd and Parkinson’s UK. We have also continued to receive funding from Get Berkshire Active and Connecting Communities in Berkshire. Without these, we would not be able to run our classes and keep prices affordable. Nor would we be able to afford to promote the classes.
The grants have helped us launch and get classes going, but they aren’t always renewed, and once the funding runs out, we have to look for alternative sources. Without grants, we face a shortfall of several thousand pounds per year.
To give you an idea of the costs involved and how any money you help us raise will be used:
£5 covers the cost of the refreshments for a class
£10 will go towards keeping ticket prices low
£20 cover the cost of the venue for a class
£45 covers the cost of instructors for a class
£50 will go towards helping us fund advertising and marketing efforts that will enable us to reach more people
£80 covers the whole cost of running one class
£100 will pay for instructor insurance
£200 will help cover the continued professional development of our instructors
£350 will pay for instructor training
We continue to apply for and win grants, but being the resourceful people we are, we decided to seek out alternative sources.
Give a little love
Last summer, we were awarded £500 by Waitrose as part of their Give A Little Love campaign, which we used to set up the Alice Bye Court class. We were presented with the cheque at a short ceremony in the café of their Thatcham branch. Upon receiving the cheque, I gave a short thank you speech in which I spoke about MOVEability. There was a couple in the café who were so moved by what I had to say that they came up to me afterwards and handed me some money. I wouldn’t take it at first, but they insisted, saying they really believed in what we were doing with MOVEability and wanted to make a contribution.
Meanwhile, some of our class regulars who can afford it have offered to pay more for the classes. Some volunteer to help get the classes set up and cleared away. Other s pour the tea. Yet more volunteer to help spread the word about MOVEability. One lady makes me lunch at her house on Thursdays to say thank you, knowing I have little time to spare between classes.
It got us thinking. What if we could amplify this goodwill? Give even more people the chance to benefit from our classes. The idea to set up a crowdfunding page was born!
How it works
Perhaps you have landed on this blog and learnt about us for the first time and, like the couple in the Waitrose café, are inspired by what we do. Maybe you have been coming to our classes for a while and want to help. Maybe you are a family member of one of our class regulars? Or you are a social prescriber involved in referring people to our classes and have seen how much they have helped, and you want to do what you can to keep them going.
Whoever you are and whatever the reason, head to MOVEability’s crowdfunding page
What next
Share, share and share the page – on your own social media or in relevant groups, via email to friends and colleagues or with any groups or organisations you are involved in that may be interested in our cause.
Download this poster/leaflet and display or share it – in your local GP surgery, dentist or opticians, local supermarket, village hall, or library!
Make a donation.
Please do not feel obligated to donate – we absolutely understand how important it is to support our valued clients, which is the very reason we seek funding. If, however, you do wish to make a donation, then you can be assured every penny will help us keep classes running and our prices affordable.
If you are a crowdfunding pro and can help with advice, tips and guidance, do get in touch!