Community-based HIV charity Lunch Positive has presented the Grosvenor Bar in Hove with a certificate of thanks for £3,537 raised over the last five months! As a smaller venue, this achievement by the Grosvenor Bar is outstanding, and a record raised by any one local LGBTQ business supporting the grassroots HIV charity.
This acknowledgement of amazing support from the Grosvenor Bar, customers, donors, artists and contributors comes at an especially poignant time, Small Charity Week, which starts 24 June.
Lunch Positive celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. It is a small charity doing big work to support the local HIV community, and runs on a shoestring with services almost entirely provided by an amazing team of volunteers and helpers. Thousands of volunteering hours are given in providing frontline support every year.
Against a backdrop of reduced and often uncertain funding, Lunch Positive reaches, involves and supports hundreds of people living with HIV each year through its unique support services, the Friday lunch club and Tuesday support drop in, befriending scheme, food bank and outreach, 1-1 and specialist support.
In thanking the Grosvenor for their amazing and life-changing help, Gary Pargeter, Director of Lunch Positive, reflected on the impact and challenges for small charities like Lunch Positive: “Small charities are known for our ‘open door’ approach, being led by people with lived experience who have a deep understanding of our community issues. We reflect the diversity of our community through our amazing volunteers and helpers, and of all the voluntary sector organisations in the UK, 96% are small charities.
“Importantly, our smaller size and closeness to community means we have a unique, strong connection and impact.
“But it does mean that our people and resources are focussed on providing help, supporting others, thousands of hours given through volunteering every year. Frequently small charities like Lunch Positive do not have the advantages of larger organisations such as paid fundraising staff and public relations workers, so getting fundraising support and our message out becomes ever more challenging.
“Because of our size, our resources are focussed on directly delivering services and helping people. For smaller charities like us, one of our greatest needs is the help of local businesses and community to support us with fundraising. When this happens, businesses support and connect with small charities, the direct impact on people we help is massive.
“This is exactly what the Grosvenor Bar have proved. Every penny raised goes directly to providing services and support. There have been some amazing fundraising activities, we are hugely grateful to the Grosvenor Bar, customers, contributors and everyone involved in helping fundraise – you are changing lives.”
Hearing from Mike and Jay, proprietors of the Grosvenor Bar: “It was an honour to receive a certificate from our friends at Lunch Positive in recognition of the fundraising efforts of our fantastic customers. Our customers have raised an astonishing £3,537 over the past five months. For a small bar that’s an incredible amount, showing that we might be small but we have a huge heart.
“A massive thank you to Dave Lynn and Hazell Dean for An Audience With, to the Brighton Box Gallery and everyone who kindly donated auction prizes, to Kevin Coyle (Drag Bus) for being at the centre of our efforts and to Robert O’Neill for promoting our fundraising events and filling the bar.
“But most of all to our customers and friends thank you so much for your amazing generosity. The Grosvenor Bar continues to support Lunch Positive over the year ahead. Please look out for the programme of events coming up.”
More information on the Grosvenor Bar HERE
More information on Lunch Positive and Small Charities Week HERE