An expert boost for Birmingham charities
574. Tim Andrews
575. PJ Ellis
Tim Andrews and PJ Ellis are the founders of LoveBrum, a pioneering membership organisation set up to give a funding and expertise boost to small charities across Birmingham.
LoveBrum members vote monthly on which local charities could benefit most from support. The chosen organisations receive a grant and an intensive 12 month programme of business and marketing advice provided by expert volunteers. LoveBrum has supported a range of small charities and projects including a residents’ association tackling antisocial behaviour, a support group for Birmingham families of children with Downs Syndrome and an innovative group of students and care home residents who staged a two night festival.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
“Tim and PJ are combining their successful business experience and a love of their great city to give some fantastic local charities a helping hand. These hidden gem charities and community projects are doing brilliant work across Birmingham and ‘LoveBrum’ is giving them the funding and expert support to deliver real change. Tim and PJ are proud Brummies, showing people just how great the city is. I’m proud to name them Points of Light.”
PJ & Tim said:
“We are very honoured to have been recognised by our Prime Minister for our work with LoveBrum. Having been trustees for a local cancer charity previously, we’d seen a number of “pain points” in the local third-sector that we thought we could fix, namely: people often questioned where their money would go; there was generally a sense of donor-fatigue; and many people wanted to feel more engaged with the charity to which they donated.
We would like to think that LoveBrum fixes these; 100% of the fundraising monies raised goes directly to the projects that are delivering real outcomes so people know exactly where their money goes; there is no donor fatigue as a different charitable project is supported every month; and people are engaged when getting involved with LoveBrum as they have the vote on which projects are supported – they have a say in the change they want to see.
We accept this award on behalf of another co-founder, and all of the amazing people and businesses that have helped us so far. Birmingham, let’s do this!”