PRAN NEWSLETTER ISSUE 11: December 2024
Winter Edition
Dear PRAN MEMBERS
As the year comes to a close, we're excited to share the final updates of 2024. In this Winter Edition of the PRAN Newsletter, we recap highlights from our recent workshop on funding strategies, showcasing an exceptional lineup of speakers. We also announce our upcoming event of 2025, The Manc Kitchen: A Social Dining Pilot. Additionally, be sure to read our blog, A Very Dickensian Christmas, which explores inclusive reporting and the issue of poverty. We appreciate your continued support—let’s build on our progress and momentum in 2025!
Developing Funding Strategies Workshop
We would like to thank everyone who contributed to and attended PRAN’s workshop on Developing Funding Strategies! Our workshop featured exceptional speakers who shared invaluable knowledge and expertise.
Alex Rigby, who manages Centre 56, a nursery in Kirkdale supporting families and children affected by domestic abuse, spoke about his journey from fundraising in his spare time to becoming a full-time fundraiser. It was inspiring to hear about his unique and successful fundraising experiences.
Sam Avery and Kevin Coogan from The Comedy Trust spoke about their journey in developing an effective funding strategy. Sam is an award-winning stand-up comedian, bestselling author, renowned speaker, and viral blogger. He has been with the Comedy Trust since 2004 and now leads the organisation as its Artistic Director. Kevin is a project manager with over 20 years of experience. In 2001, he decided to transition from the private sector to the voluntary, community, and faith sector, turning his passion into a career path.
Jonathan White from Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS) delivered a talk on How to Write Good Funding Bids. He covered key funders and provided an overview of websites that help organisations find suitable funding. Jonathan previously worked as a Community Safety Officer in Local Government, managing funding for the Community Safety Partnership, before moving to the voluntary sector in 2009 to manage a small charity in North Wales. Since March 2024, he has been the Funding Advisor for LCVS. It was also fantastic to hear from Ailsa Horne about the work of Capacity! It was a pleasure to end 2024 with PRAN’s final event, surrounded by an amazing group of talented, passionate, and committed people.
Upcoming Events:
The Manc Kitchen: A Social Dining Pilot
When: Saturday 1st February 2025, 4 pm - 6 pm
Inspired by MP Ian Byrne’s Scouse Kitchen, The Manc Kitchen explores the benefits of social dining amid rising food and fuel poverty. Around 620,000 people in Greater Manchester currently live in poverty, struggling with basic needs like food. This event aims to demonstrate how public dining spaces can combat hunger whilst bringing people together, providing dignity, and helping build social connections. This event will spark discussions on reviving public canteens as vital social infrastructure to tackle food poverty and isolation. As the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have shown, third-sector organizations bear much of the burden during crises. Public canteens present a chance for councils and governments to reclaim their social responsibilities after years of austerity. On the day, the food will be provided by local chef Kala Mandviwala. Kala is a passionate chef and founder of a pop-up restaurant Chiit Chaat that brings authentic Indian street food to life. For any further queries, please contact: info@pran.org.uk
For more information, please click here.
Blog:
A Very Dickensian Christmas
Read our final blog of 2024, a very timely seasonal piece, written by Dr Rachel Broady. The Dickensian Christmas inspires media stories of poverty, often silencing those affected. Dr Broady urges inclusive reporting, amplifying voices to tackle stereotypes and year-round poverty.
Rachel Broady is a lecturer in Media, Culture, and Communication, at Liverpool John Moores University. She has many years of experience as a journalist, writing for newspapers and magazines. She has also experienced poverty first-hand and knows what going without at Christmas is like. Rachel’s new book ‘Poverty and Protest as Public Discourse During the Cotton Crisis’ is to be released in 2025
You can find the full blog here.
Reminder
Sharing and spreading knowledge play a crucial role in the fight against poverty. We encourage our members to make use of PRAN’s website for this purpose and to reach out to us if you wish to contribute a blog post, participate in our podcast, or promote your work, activities, or events. If you are interested in taking on a more active role within the network—such as editing newsletters or blogs, hosting podcasts, or organising events and activities—please contact us at info@pran.org.uk
Happy Holidays
Finally, we would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thank you for your continued support! Together, we’ve made great strides, and we look forward to continuing this momentum into 2025!
We look forward to staying connected and will be in touch in the New Year!
In Solidarity,
PRAN Team
