Open a newspaper, scroll social media, or watch the news and we can all see we’re in challenging times. Today’s issues aren’t the same as 20, or even 10 years ago.

In Mashamshire we face specific issues such as:

• • Housing is less affordable, lower quality, and less energy efficient than in much of the UK. The result is more older residents in unsuitable homes and younger people with extremely limited housing options.
  • Reduced local services, increased need to travel to access amenities, and scarce affordable housing often means Mashamshire is not an option for families.
  • As a proportion of our community, we have growing numbers of older people, often living alone, and in need of a variety of amenities and support to live a full life.
  • The assumption is that everyone can shop, communicate and access health services online. Those who struggle to use technology safely of effectively can feel excluded and isolated.
  • When help isn’t easily accessible, it’s human nature to worry or just ignore the problem. So, issues like health, financial or housing worries inevitably get worse.
  • Living in a rural location like ours, with limited public transport, can make accessing healthcare, shopping, and essential services difficult for some residents.

Tackling Problems with Solutions

At Mashamshire Community Office (MCO) we try to meet problems with solutions if we can – in these challenging times, there’s plenty to go at! Our charity relies on volunteers, donations, and fundraising to support our work, but we have been lucky to receive startup funding to get some initiatives off the ground:

• • Our weekly and monthly volunteer-led guided walking groups gives people the confidence to get out and about, meet new people and stay active and mobile as long as they can.
  • Our skilled team of volunteer “Digital Champions” run weekly informal drop-ins in Masham and Grewelthorpe or one-to-one if needed. They help people overcome problems and build their confidence to safely engaging with the digital world.

Though the startup funding was welcome, the ongoing cost of keeping these successful initiatives going is now falls to MCO. Even in normal times, that’s how grant funding seems to work, which often means that to continue we must operate services at a loss, relying on fundraising, donations and tapping into our own reserves.

We have also just launched our new volunteer drivers scheme, getting local people to essential medical and other health appointments. MCO got this service off the ground without being able to access ANY external funding at all.

Solutions Need Funding

Luckily, residual funds from Covid and our 2023 building purchase, has meant we had some funds available to invest in short term service delivery. However, these funds are limited and will soon be exhausted. Sustaining services will then depend entirely on fundraising, donations, and successful grant applications.

This is increasingly challenging in the current economic climate. Charities are facing declining donations and intensified competition for a shrinking pool of grant funding, particularly when particular local needs, like those in Mashamshire, do not always match with external funders’ priorities.

The result is a perfect storm – reduced access to funding at a time when demand for support and services is growing. This is a problem for all of us.

How We Aim to Take Funding Into Our Own Hands

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