A CHARITY has spoken of its gratitude after it received a grant to help boost its services and has encouraged members of the community to get involved.

Our parent company’s charitable arm, the Gannett Foundation, is providing £128,000 in cash to support charities across the country and we are delighted to have the £16,000 share to give away in our area.

The Colchester Emergency and Next Steps charity, CENS, has spoken about its grant received back in 2018.

Formerly the Colchester Emergency Night Shelter, CENS was awarded a £1,500 grant from the Gannett Foundation, a charity which is run by The Gazette’s parent company.

The money went towards equipment for a new gardening group, teaching tenants essential skills.

Whilst the project could not continue long term, the charity said it was hugely beneficial.

Manager Marina Walmsley said: “It definitely helped the guys who stayed here when we had it.

“If we had an opportunity again to do a project like that we wouldn’t hesitate.

“It opened our eyes to the fact these things you can introduce people to have such a positive impact on their mental health, it gave them a feeling of success to grow something from seeds."

Mrs Walmsley also encouraged people to nominate, knowing the difference it can make.

She said: “It would really help any charity.

“There’s not always enough funding to continue services, and funding can change lives, the impact is massive, the positive impact it has on people is immeasurable.

“it is a good foundation, and we were very pleased to have that money.”

Nominations for the 2022 grants close soon, however there is still time to nominate a project or charity you think could benefit.

It’s simple to make a nomination, just log-on to www.gazettenews.co.uk/readerschoice and fill in your nomination form.

You can also write to us, confirming the name and address of the charity you’d like to nominate and why to Readers’ Choice Cash For Charity Nominations, Unit 1 Brunel Court, Brunel Way, Severalls Industrial Estate, Colchester, CO4 9XP.

The closing date for nominations to be sent is September 11.

Once all nominations have been received, editors will select ten of the most popular charities in our area to be featured in this year’s grants scheme.

Then for four weeks, readers will be invited to collect tokens from our newspapers which can then be sent to collection points across our region or posted.

Each token collected will then be used to allocate cash to the nominated charity.

So, if your favourite charity collects 50 per cent of all tokens collected, it will receive 50 per cent of the £16,000.

Gazette editor Gary Pearson said: “Every year, the Gannett Foundation gives tens of thousands of pounds to worthwhile causes.

“We are delighted so many Colchester organisations have been picked to receive funding over the years, which has made a big difference to their work.

“These grants go a long way to helping those in need, especially with the current financial issues many might be facing right now.

“Please don’t hesitate to nominate your choices before the deadline.”

Newsquest terms and conditions will apply where relevant to the grants process, please visit newsquest.co.uk/prize-competition-rules.