Published at 11:34, Tuesday, 04 December 2012

MORE than 30 Furness charities have shared thousands in donations from shipyard employees.

A total of £25,000 was raised, with a top up from BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines, and shared out between the groups.

33 charities shared the £25,000 funding from BAE System’s Give As You Earn (GAYE) salary contribution scheme – this brings the total amount paid out to Furness charities by the scheme over its 17-year lifespan to £375,000.

A wide range of groups were supported from hospital fundraisers through to village schools.

Once again Hospital Equipment Fund for Furness (HEFF) received one of the biggest donations (£4,500). HEFF vice chairwoman Renee Roddie and volunteer Stella Hill said it was still to be decided how the funds would be used.

Ms Roddie added: “We are so grateful to employees for their support. We are a completely local charity and nobody takes a penny for administration.”

Other recipients of larger awards included: SAFA (Self-harm Awareness for the Furness Area) which wants to refurbish a counselling room (£1,500) and Furness Homeless Support Group, which wants to fund social activities for residents (£1,250).

A sizeable donation also went to one of a number of charities new to the GAYE awards – Furness Victim Support, which provides counselling and practical support to victims of crime.

It will use the funding (£1,000) to provide equipment ranging from personal alarms to “segment” light timers to window alarms. Service delivery managers Graham Sandham and Katherine Besson said: “We support any victims of crime – from domestic to criminal damage. These items help to give people confidence.”

Other first time recipients included Furness Music Centre, a charity providing music opportunities for the community which wants to put on a Concerto Programme providing free places for local children (£500), and The Malt Kiln, which needs a new central heating boiler eight years after the popular Bardsea community centre was refurbished with a Lottery grant (£500).

Wildcat Wheelchair Sports Club received a donation (£750) towards new equipment and a powerchair football taster course.
Applications for a 2013 GAYE grant are now open, and the deadline is September 30.

Applications should be made to Joe Sides, Give As You Earn Chairman, BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines, 2nd Floor, Building A43 (MSO), Barrow-in-Furness LA14 1AF; email: joseph.sides@baesystems.com; tel: 01229 873170.

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