Funding for cumbrians working in international development
Rory has committed to bring funding from the new Government’s new Global Poverty Action FUND (GPAF) to support charitable organisations in Penrith and the Border. The new fund, launched by Secretary of State for International Development, The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP, is designed to help smaller charities access funding from DFID in order to “save lives and do great things in the developing world.” Rory sees it as “an ideal opportunity for Cumbria”. The new scheme will give Cumbrian charities the chance to get new ideas off the ground and expand existing projects that are already achieving real results. Local charities with an interest in the developing world can obtain funding from either the Innovation Fund – for smaller organisations – or the Impact Fund, for charities with bigger ambitions.
Rory’s push for this funding is the latest stage in his campaign to support and promote Cumbrians working on global poverty, an interest he has maintained since he founded and ran his own charity in Afghanistan, Turquoise Mountain Foundation. His work with Cumbrian schools has gone from joining Ullswater Community College in a canoe in support of their project in Tanzania, to intervening to ensure that a container of educational equipment sent by Penrith’s Queen Elizabeth Grammar School to its partner school in Uganda was released by the Ugandan tax authorities. He has given lectures and book-signings in Cumbria in support of Save the Children, Oxfam and the Fair Trade Alliance. In the last month he has written a story in aid of Oxfam and a book for Amnesty International. (The story was for the travel compendium “OxTravels“ and was picked as Radio 4’s Book of the Week; all royalities went to Oxfam, and the story was launched with a book signing at Oxfam in Penrith. His book for Amnesty “Can Intervention Work” was published this month.
Rory said: “Cumbria has an extraordinary tradition of generosity and support for poor people all over the world. So many in Penrith and the Border who are already engaged in the developing world, whether as individuals, as charities, or as schools. I am determined to make those links stronger – particularly for schools – since I think these are great opportunities not just to help but also to learn about other people and other cultures. I am delighted that the government has made money available for small charities and I think Cumbria will benefit greatly from this new opportunity. I would be delighted to support any worthy initiative.”
Andrew Mitchell said: “Thanks to the GPAF, charities across Britain are already bringing hope to many people. For example, a charity from Cardiff have designed an all-terrain bicycle ambulance that can get to nearly 30,000 women and children in remote rural areas of Uganda. I’m delighted that Rory is helping to encourage all organisations, charities and others working on a not-for-profit basis in Cumbria to help people out of poverty.”
For more information please visit www.dfid.gov.uk/gpaf
