Industry charity foundation Meeting Needs is on the lookout
for new board members – and is encouraging eventprofs to get involved.
The call comes as current chair Chris Parnham prepares to
end his two-year tenure as chair and hand over to vice-chair Lene Corgan, head of business events at Wonderful Copenhagen.
In the latest Meeting Needs update, Parnham said: “We have
some vacancies on the Meeting Needs board, so if you would like to invest a
little time in doing something so worthwhile and wonderful, I would love to
tell you more and welcome you to the team. Please reach out to me directly if
you are interested.
“As we begin 2025, I am a little sad that my two years as chairman
are coming to an end, but I am very proud to be handing over to the wonderful
Lene Corgan in June, who has been a tremendous vice-chair during my tenure, and
many more before me.”
In Meeting Needs’ 21-year history it has raised more than
£1.89 million and made donations to 200 charitable projects. Parnham added that
the foundation hopes to top the £2m mark by the end of 2025.
“Your money has changed lives all over the world,” he said. “We
hope to top £2 million before the end of this calendar year. Last year we
raised £155,000, our biggest year since COVID, and this year we hope to have
our biggest year ever, so please support our events when you can.”
The last few months have seen two big fundraising events for
Meeting Needs, raising £24,310 at the SITEGB auction and raffle and £4,560 at
the beam gala dinner.
Later this
year the foundation will be again taking part in its annual team event, the
Royal Parks Half Marathon. Anyone interested in running (or walking) with Meeting
Needs this year should contact head of fundraising Kate Conway: [email protected]
Meeting Needs is a charity foundation that awards life-changing grants to small
charities and projects with funds raised from within the meetings and events
industry. Recent donations include:
- £7,000 to Mighty Convoy to buy a vehicle to
carry aid to Ukraine
- £4,000 to Jafuta Foundation to complete the
refurbishment of a classroom in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, benefitting 60
students
- £4,000 to Livingstone Tanzania Trust to develop land
for a school farm to grow their own food, benefitting 358 students
- £5,000 to Feast with Us, which provides meals to
people in London in food poverty – the equivalent of 1,000 meals
- £5,000 to Happy Days, which provides short
breaks, activity days or sporting events for children with learning
difficulties or suffering from neglect or abuse, benefitting 175 children
Anyone in
the meeting and events community can help their favourite charity to apply for a
Meeting Needs grant. To find out more, visit: https://www.meetingneeds.org.uk/apply-for-funding-2/
Parnham
added: “Through Meeting Needs, we event professionals can come together to do
great things for those in need. Our foundation focuses specifically on smaller
charities who find it so difficult to attract attention and funds, and small
grants make big impacts. Our average grant is just £5,000 and these grants can
and do change lives.
“Together we are a massive force that can focus on doing
great things for good causes. Please encourage your colleagues or your bosses
to use the Meeting Needs Foundation to help them to give back and let me know
how we can best support you.”
To find out more about the vacancies on the Meeting Needs
board, contact Parnham on: [email protected]
