LoveBrum is a movement for a better Birmingham, looking to unearth the ‘hidden-gem’ projects that will make a real difference to the city. With the first beneficiaries for 2015 announced as the Lily Mae Foundation and the Sampson Road Residents Association, LoveBrum will provide over £7,000 in financial support across the two projects.

All across the city, there are great people and great organisations doing their bit to make the Birmingham better, LoveBrum exists to unearth these hidden projects and make them happen. All of the money raised in Birmingham stays in Birmingham; LoveBrum only supports local projects that deliver real change and in the first year, LoveBrum will promote 40 causes and raise a minimum of £120,000 to fund 12 projects. The Lily Mae Foundation and the Sampson Road Residents Association were chosen as the first LoveBrum beneficiaries as both projects are volunteer-led organisations, with specific and tangible outcomes that will make Birmingham better.

Founded in July 2010, the Lily Mae Foundation provides support for parents and families following a stillbirth or neonatal death, and in doing so has created a lasting legacy for Lily Mae and her family. Bereaved parents make up the charities board of trustees, as they aim to provide families with counselling support from those with first hand experience of stillbirth of neonatal death. LoveBrum will fund training for two trustees and an initial 100 hours of counselling support, to the value of over £5,000.

The Sampson Road Residents Association is a group of volunteers who look to improve their local community of Sparkbrook and beyond. Current projects include the Clean Medina campaign, which sees young people and volunteers take to the streets on the first Sunday of the month to clean up and recycle litter. With funding from LoveBrum, the Sampson Road Residents Association will be able to reinstate rewards and incentives for those involved in multiple community projects. Whilst also allowing them to take Clean Medina across the city with a Birmingham-wide event.

Going forward, each LoveBrum cause will be voted for and chosen by LoveBrum members. Projects awarded the most votes are then granted access to dedicated funds to achieve specific outcomes while the projects that don’t receive funding have the opportunity to join the LoveBrum Academy, which gives them free on going business and marketing support, for a limited time. LoveBrum Membership is available online now for just £20, which will give you access to all benefits, including networking opportunities and the power to vote on the projects that receive funding.

PJ Ellis, CEO of LoveBrum said:

“We have spent the past 12 months speaking with the people and businesses of Birmingham to perfect the LoveBrum offering; we wanted to make sure that Birmingham needed an organisation that would support real change in our already awesome city, whilst celebrating Brum – its diversity, its people, its businesses etc. – and connecting all of them, at the same time.   I am so excited that we are finally ready to take LoveBrum out into the city by initially showcasing two fantastic causes which help to improve the lives of people in our local community.  This is just the beginning – together we are going to reach out to, and help, many more projects.  Together, we can really make a difference.  The best thing is that it’s our members who make the decisions and all the money raised in Brum will stay in Brum.   I would encourage everyone to get involved.  Become a member, let us know about a project, and much, much more at www.lovebrum.org.uk.”