A total of £92,333 has so far been raised by generous individuals, groups and organisations for the Plymouth Together Fund.
The fund was set up to collect money raised for the families of those killed in the tragedy of 12 August, 2021 alongside those injured as well as the recovery of the Keyham and Ford communities.
Around 85 per cent of the money has now been distributed to the next of kin, those physically injured and wider family members, while decisions are being made on how to best to spend the remainder to benefit the local community.
Council Leader Nick Kelly said: “The generosity shown by the Plymouth community over the past six months has been inspiring. From the big campaigns and events that have raised tens of thousands of pounds to the coffee mornings and car washes it really does feel as though the city has come together to support those most affected by this terrible event.
“I would also like to thank our partner the Wolseley Trust for managing the fund at no cost and members of the advisory committee which is ensuring the efficient, quick distribution of monies raised.”
Fund governance and distribution
The fund does not receive any government funding and none of the donated funds are used for administration. It is also separate from such initiatives as the Keyham Community Sparks Grants as it is solely comprised of fundraising money.
The fund has been overseen by the Wolseley Trust which is a not-for-profit organisation and long-term trusted partner of Plymouth City Council. An advisory committee, featuring members of the Keyham community, the Wolseley Trust and the council, is meeting monthly to govern the distribution of the funds.
Committee chair Robbie Nairn said, “Our deliberations have been really straightforward because money raised has been donated as intended. If the fundraiser has said they wanted funds raised to go to the families then it has gone to the families.
“The sad story of what happened in Keyham has really galvanised the general public who have put their hands in their pockets. It has been an incredible effort and, on behalf of the Keyham community, we would like to say a huge ‘thank you’.”
Robbie added that if the fundraiser had not specified where the money was to be distributed then 65 per cent would go to next of kin, 10 per cent to those physically injured, 10 per cent to the victims’ wider family, and 15 per cent used for a general community reserve to benefit the area.
Still time to fundraise
The Plymouth Together Fund is still open in a bid to collect as much as possible for the families, survivors and community impacted by what happened in Keyham. A host of fundraising suggestions and information is available on the Plymouth Together website fundraising page.
Recent success stories include more than £24,000 raised by social media group, The Plymouth Gossip Girls, and a charity event for the local business community which raised £35,000.
Paul Montgomery played a big part in organising the charity fundraiser. He said, “It’s fantastic that more than £90,000 has been raised but people should keep on fundraising because there are still a lot of issues that need to be resolved. What happened is never going to go away and it’s important to prevent something like this ever happening again.
“And there is so much that can be done to raise money. People can do a sponsored walk, organise a dog walk or kids can sleep in tents – it doesn’t have to be a glitzy event!”
Fundraising events coming up include Skate Together, a sponsored skating day taking place at the Plymouth Ice Rink on Friday, 22 April. Fundraisers will be hitting the ice for either four or six hours and to secure your spot visit www.plymouthice.co.uk Skaters who enter before Friday, 18 March will get a free skate voucher so they can practice their skills before the big day.
Keep up-to-date with the latest fundraising initiatives and information at www.plymouthtogether.co.uk