Norwood’s £3m fundraiser
NORWOOD RAISED £3.3 million from a 36-hour matched fundraiser on Sunday and Monday, exceeding the proceeds from the charity’s last annual dinner in 2019.
Held in place of a 2021 annual dinner, the online giving drive attracted in excess of 4,300 contributions, with donors from as far afield as America. The largest single donation was £100,000 and the original target of £2.6 million was comfortably surpassed after a bonus round.
Proceeds will go into general funding for the learning disability and families charity, accounting for more than a quarter of the £12 million gap between statutory funding and the cost of providing its services.
Speaking afterwards, chief executive Dr Beverley Jacobson praised the “incredible” support Norwood had received from both existing donors and the wider community.
“The #TogetherWeAre campaign was conceived to celebrate the relationships at the heart of Norwood which are so important in enabling and empowering the people we support to live meaningful and fulfilling lives.
“That sense of togetherness has never been more apparent.”
Dr Jacobson added that “with society’s needs having changed profoundly over the past 20 months, Norwood’s services have become even more integral for the children and families we support. Our adult services have also experienced increased pressure during this period.
“The timing of this funding is therefore perfect as we look to ensure that our services meet the needs of the community in the right locations, in the right ways and at the right time.”
Norwood’s fundraiser was the latest run through Charity Extra, the online platform set up by North Londoner Yitzi Bude which the JC recently reported as having helped raise more than £140 million for good causes in just two years.
Mr Bude has suggested that some charities may not return to major inperson events.
However, a Norwood spokesperson suggested that “circumstances permitting”, the charity hoped to stage a physical dinner in 2022.
The sense of togetherness has never been more apparent’