Nearly half of London boroughs now have an active place based giving scheme. Rebecca McLoughlin, the new Development Director at OneRichmond, talks about their ambitions, working in collaboration, and what she’s learned so far about working with the local community.
Can you tell us a bit about OneRichmond and your ambitions for place-based giving?
OneRichmond has been set up by two local charities who have been working across the London Borough of Richmond borough for over 200 years, Richmond Parish Lands Charity (RPLC) and the Hampton Fund. Together with City Bridge Trust, the founding partners have generously committed to three years of core funding to support the initiative.
A key aim of OneRichmond is to use research to identify and highlight local deprivation and hidden disadvantage and support initiatives tackling these issues and their root causes. Images of a beautiful, riverside, parkland setting can be very different from the reality of the hidden story of Richmond that many residents, local businesses and visitors often don’t know about.
Our ambition is for an engaged community of local donors who are aware of the real and pressing issues being faced by their neighbours and who are actively involved in addressing local issues.
Collaboration is a key part of what makes place based giving special. Who are you working with locally and what partnerships are you hoping to explore?
We are at an early stage in our work, and having been in post for only three months my priority to date has been to focus on governance, legal and financial matters. Once this initial work has been completed, we will be looking to work in partnership with local businesses and residents, the charitable community across the borough, London Borough of Richmond and the Richmond CVS.
What have you learned so far about what’s important to your local community, and how are you hoping to respond to this at OneRichmond?
Given the early stage in our development, we are currently researching local need and issues by analysing existing data. To supplement this, it has been particularly helpful to meet with key people and organisations across the borough including the local authority, Richmond CVS, local charities and people working on the frontline who see the reality of life for many residents on a daily basis. These conversations give invaluable insights into what the current and emerging needs are across the borough and will be used to inform our priorities and focus.
What excites you most about the potential of place-based giving in your borough?
I know from Covid what potential there is across Richmond for the local community to come together and support local causes. I’m excited to tap into this and create an opportunity for local residents and businesses to feel more connected with and aware of local issues and feel an active part of the solution.
What one piece of advice would you share with others who are in the early stages of setting up a giving scheme?
To connect and meet with the other PBG organisations in the London’s Giving network and learn from their experiences. It’s a great community with a wealth of expertise and knowledge and a real desire to support each other. Everyone will have had to consider and address the same issues and questions at some point – tap into it!
What attracted you to work at OneRichmond and join the world of place based giving?
I have worked in the non-profit sector for over 13 years for two small, ambitious charities, and prior to that in the commercial sector for ten years as a Chartered Surveyor. I was looking for a new opportunity to use this experience to help another similar organisation and when I saw the role come up in Richmond, where we have lived with our family for the last 20+ years, I jumped at it! I am excited to start with a blank sheet again and drive forward the Richmond initiative by building partnerships and developing fundraising initiatives to bring in new resources.