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Looking for help: Dee Eimer, from Enfield Patients And Children, with the charity’s fundraising and marketing officer Martin Shepherd
By Mary McConnell
CHARITY chiefs are calling on residents and businesses to lend support to families who live close to home.
Dee Eimer, the chief executive of Enfield Parents And Children, wants people in the borough to help local charities instead of huge national organisations.
She said funding for EPC always falls short of her ambitions for the charity.
“We have got our funding secured for the next three years but we always need more for individual projects,” she said.
“It is now 100 times more difficult to get funding than it was a few years ago but at this time the demand from families is increasing because funding for everything is being cut.
“One of the ideas we are trying to promote is local people supporting local families. People are aware of all the big national charities that support families across the country, but there are families around the corner from you who need help.”
Martin Shepherd, the charity’s fundraising and marketing officer, added: “We really want local businesses to help us fund an anti-bullying course, for example, or pay for a family who have never gone on holiday before to go away on a trip.
“They could sponsor an event or they could come here and volunteer with us. We are not looking for huge amounts of money, it could just be family days outs, trips to museums.”
The charity was founded in 1996 and started with only two members of staff. Now it has 14, as well as 40 volunteers.
Dee started off as a service user back when the charity was in its infancy. The organisation supported her and her son, who has special needs.
She became a volunteer and was appointed the chief executive in 2000.
She explained: “When it started it was just one service – the parent partnership service, which supports parents, giving them information and advice.
“But it soon became clear that there were other issues that needed to be addressed.”
Now the organisation runs a whole gamut of services – classes for fathers, anti-bullying courses, parenting classes – the list goes on.
And tonight Dee and her team will be celebrating the charity’s 15th anniversary at their Montagu Road headquarters.
“It is an opportunity for families to come and celebrate with us,” said Martin. “Edmonton MP Andy Love will be doing a presentation and we will be announcing the results of our children’s art competition.
“Young volunteers will be honoured at the event. There will be a big raffle. We have been cold calling loads of businesses for contributions.”
Despite all the celebrations Dee warned that many families are still struggling, particularly in today’s harsh economic climate.
“Enfield is the 11th highest local authority for childhood poverty in the country and it is still increasing,” she said.
“Many parents really struggle financially just to put food in their children’s mouths and clothes on their back.”
