Community fund reaches milestone

A PORT fund set up last year is riding the crest of a wave after raising more than £100,000.
Felixstowe Port Community Fund, set up by a dozen shipping and transport-related companies in the town to support local causes, reached the milestone in little over a year.
“We are so proud of what has been achieved so far,” said fund chairman Derek Johnson, chief executive of Johnson Stevens Agencies.
“We have exceeded the £100,000 mark and already made a real difference to a number of organisations through the grants we have awarded to date.
“But this is just the beginning. All of the companies involved are totally committed to the fund and a series of fund-raising events are being planned. We look forward to taking the Felixstowe Port Community Fund to even greater heights.”
The Felixstowe Port Community Fund is managed by the Suffolk Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for Suffolk people.
“What is happening at Felixstowe is, we think, truly unique,” said Stephen Singleton, Suffolk Foundation chief executive.
“It is a community of businesses whose activities all revolve around the docks and some are competitors - but they have pulled together to create a significant amount of money and redistribute that back into the local community.
“The package that they are pulling together is remarkable, particularly in tough times. Without doubt, this could be a model for other ports - and also for all sorts of industries. It is a fantastic success.”
The first round of grant awards from the fund have included £10,000 to St. Felix Home for the Blind, £2,000 for the Disability Advice Service, £2,150 for the Anchor Trust's Oakwood House, to enable the trust to buy a new minibus, and £2,000 towards the Felixstowe Youth Development Group “Safe Place to Be” project.
Its most recent awards include £1,565 to Causton Junior School PTA for the purchase of a set of turbano drums for an outdoor classroom, £1,980 to Riding for the Disabled, for building maintenance and replacement equipment, £1,200 to Deben High School towards its after-school vegetable growing club, £2,000 to Felixstowe Volunteer Coast Patrol Rescue Service as a contribution towards the replacement of two lifeboat engines.
The Felixstowe Port Community Fund partners are: Cory Brothers, Coscon (UK) Ltd, Freightliner, Grange Shipping, Harwich Haven Authority, Johnson Stevens Agencies, MCP, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Pentalver Transport, the Port of Felixstowe and Wincanton.

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I was under the impression that the port had stopped all charitable donations while they were taking two days pay off us!
Anyone like to comment?