Small Charity Week (19-23 June) celebrates and raises awareness of the essential work of the small charity sector and the invaluable contribution they make to the lives of millions of people across the UK.

This year’s Small Charity Week is delivered by NCVO and Lloyds Bank Foundation. The campaign is organised as a series of activities and initiatives to support and raise awareness of the thousands of small charities making a huge difference to vulnerable communities across the UK.

In North Yorkshire and the Humber alone, there are more than 11,000 small charities¹, who despite their smaller size make a huge contribution to our local communities, and this week we want to help raise their profiles and celebrate the great work they do.

Many small charities rely heavily on the practical support of their volunteers to keep them going.​ Julie Bridgeman, Vice Chair Low Bentham Public Hall and Village Institute says that their success relies on a hardworking volunteer committee: “As an entire committee, we meet about every two months. The discussions and decisions that take place at these meetings are supported by an enormous amount of work ‘behind the scenes’. All the committee are volunteers and give their time in order to further the offer to residents of Low Bentham, High Bentham and further afield. Low Bentham Public Hall and Village Institute is not only physically at the heart of Low Bentham it is also in the hearts of its committee members and a vibrant pulse of village life.”

In Scarborough, Judith Winters, chair of Ebberston Village Hall says, “As a small charity, our small size means we can act on an idea quickly. It is lovely to know that at each event we are bringing about a morning of conversation, helping to make and renew friendships and most importantly of all provide a true sense of what it means to be a community.”

Jane Colthup, Chief Executive at Community First Yorkshire said, “Small charities add hugely to the social value in our communities. Often working locally, they’re able to build strong relationships and help those hardest to reach in their communities. Having a local focus means they are able to take decisions and respond more rapidly to changing and uncertain situations – take the local response to the pandemic for  example. We want small charities to flourish and continue to provide the vital services and local connections essential to thriving communities.”

Community First Yorkshire, while categorised as a small charity itself, helps and supports other small charities to identify funding opportunities, strengthen applications for CIC and CIO registration, provides governance support and advice and offers a wide variety of training.

View our campaign page to read small charity stories from across North Yorkshire, access our resources and follow along with the campaign.

[1] Source: CharityBase