RESIDENTS in Ilminster are encouraged to nominate the town’s arts centre to give it the chance to win an award.

The Ilminster Arts Centre could be gifted £1000 through the Movement for Good Awards.

Now in its fifth year, the Movement for Good Awards will once again see more than £1million gifted to charities up and down the UK and Ireland.

Alan Hyde, one of the arts centre trustees, said: “As a small charity we're always exploring ways to raise our income and ensure we can operate on a sustainable financial footing, so we can continue to support local artists and performers and serve the community for many years to come. Every contribution is important and very welcome.

“If successful, this modest grant application will help us become more efficient, with improvements to 'back office' systems, so we can deliver an even better service for visitors.

“Applications for the Movement for Good Awards are open throughout the year, but the next winners will be announced between 12 and 16 June, so registered public support would be very welcome up to then.

“We have researched potential sources of funding. Progress is reviewed at our monthly trustee meetings.

“We've also teamed up with JustGiving to encourage people to make direct donations to the arts centre.”

 

Mark Hews, group chief executive at Benefact Group, says: “We are immensely proud to be supporting many hundreds of charities through our Movement for Good Awards for the fifth year running.

“We know that £1,000 can make a huge difference so we’re asking that people give a minute of their time to nominate a cause they care about to receive an award.

“Owned by a charity ourselves, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do and all of our available profits go to good causes.

“With financial strain continuing to impact many households the Movement for Good Awards represents a great way for people to continue to support causes close to their hearts, without worrying about an additional cost.

“Any charity can win no matter how large or small and even with just one nomination. So find a minute, jump online, and nominate – because that small amount of time is invaluable for charities.”

Benefact Group has donated almost £200million to charitable causes since 2014 and has just been recognised as the third biggest corporate giver in the UK.

Winners will be drawn at random and the more times a charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected. 150 winning charities will be announced from 1 June, with a further 150 revealed in September. Further gifts will be awarded throughout the year.

Since the awards began, people in Somerset have submitted over 29,500 nominations and 29 Somerset-based charities have benefited from valuable donations.

Visit this website to nominate the arts centre.

Winners will be announced between 12 and 16 June.

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.