Catch Up Project: helping reading skills

ACT has supported a number of partners with grants and a range of input over more than 40 years using its highly engaged 'hands on' grant making approach. Many organisation's have gone from strength to strength since ACT's funding has ended and we continue to be excited by their achievements and impact on the world. A few of these include:

Catch-up

'We approached Act when we believed we had a great idea to help young people who'd been left behind in their reading at an early age; but we needed the business and funding support that ACT could provide to help us shape the development of our materials, target our training to teachers and teaching assistants - and have time to prove that our approach worked and could become sustainable through growth. The 3 years of funding and support we received from ACT built for us a secure foundation which enables us to meet the needs of an increasing number of struggling readers across the UK'. - Julie Law, Catch-Up Director.

Credit Action

We worked with ACT funds and Trustee input to scale-up our educational work to prevent people getting into debt and to help those in it get out. We now have a staff team, structure, support and materials which can reach many thousands of people each year. Importantly, we are invited to input to government and industry policy discussions on the issues of debt and the impact that lending and borrowing practices have on all our lives. The original funding from ACT to help us respond to demand and grow our work has meant that other funders and partnerships became possible and this, in turn, has helped us become viable for the longer-term. - Keith Tondeur, Founder President

Digital Links

We collect computers from UK businesses, refurbish them and then ship them to a number of African countries. Working with local partners we ensure the computers are targeted to those who most need them - community development workers, teachers and young people - and that these people are trained in their use. Funds from ACT helped us develop our work with a range of businesses in the UK as computer donors and also with our partners in different countries. The £100,000 over 2 years, along with other investors, helped make this work happen which benefits all those involved. ACT funding has also helped us to build Digital Links into a sustainable organisation. - David Sogan, Chief Executive

BasicNeeds

All over the world, mental illness carries a terrible stigma for the sufferer and their families. There is little or no sAll over the world, mental illness carries a terrible stigma for the sufferer and their families. There is little or no service provision for this group and maybe no support for either them or their families. ACT supported us from the word 'go' and enabled us to set up our organisation, which which now champions a Community Mental Health and Development model in the rural and urban context. We now work in five countries (India, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda) and are continuing to grow. With a lot of Trustee support from ACT, as well as near to £1million funding over more than 5 years, we have been able to develop essential services to those who need it most. Our work is now sustained through UK government funding and other donors and we continue to ensure these marginalised groups' needs are met and will help to reduce the stigma of mental illness. - Amelia Fitzalan Howard, Chair of BasicNeeds and Trustee of ACT

Opportunity International

ACT supported the UK and European launch of the micro-credit work of Opportunity International in the late 80's and early 90's. The work and success of Opportunity International continues today in more than 15 countries and helps communities to help themselves through business development.p The Aged" style='vertical-align:middle;border:0px;'>

Not all organisations we've worked with continue today, some will have ceased, others merged and yet others evolved into something quite different but with a clear role, work and impact

Highlights from previous funded projects

Here are video clips from previous funded projects.  They are available in different versions for high and low speed connections.  For assistancNot all organisations we've worked with continue today, some will have ceased, others merged and yet others evolved into something quite different but with a clear role, work and impact

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