A new campaign has been launched by a Norfolk charitable trust to encourage wealthy individuals and businesses to donate more money to help local charities and projects.

A new campaign has been launched by a Norfolk charitable trust to encourage wealthy individuals and businesses to donate more money to help local charities and projects.

Norfolk Community Foundation, which awards grants of up to �5,000 to worthy causes in the county, launched its Love Norfolk 2009 campaign to help raise funds for small charities and groups across the county which make a real difference to people's lives.

The foundation gives grants to small local groups rather than giving to larger, more established charities.

Graham Tuttle, director of the foundation, said: “We have focussed on trying to harness the good feeling people have about living or working in Norfolk to get them involved in charitable giving to support the local community.

“We hope the uniqueness of the county will make people who love it want to help.

“We have a big cross-section of people who have donated. There are a number of individuals and a number of businesses that support the foundation. There are about 4,000 charities and community projects in Norfolk that would be eligible for grants.

“For example, we help people working with youths, those in rural isolation, people working with the elderly and other charities which really make a difference in their local communities.”

Since the foundation, whose work has been adopted by many other counties, was created in 2005 it has given �1,375,000 away and supported almost 600 charities. In 2008 alone it gave away �611,000 and supported 240 charities.”

Mr Tuttle said he hoped the launch event, which took place on Tuesday at the John Innes Centre and included a talk from community charities expert Richard Radcliffe, would persuade businesses of the benefits of becoming involved with the foundation.

He added: “If people feel they have the wherewithal and the interest in working with small charities and doing good work in Norfolk, and want to find a partner to help them access these types of groups and manage their grant giving, I would love them to get in touch.”

The launch of the new Love Norfolk campaign was backed by comedian Karl Minns who praised the uniqueness of the county of his birth and urged more people to take up charitable giving even in the current time of financial strictures.

For more information about the foundation, contact Graham Tuttle on 01603 623958 or email grahamtuttle@norfolkfoundation.com.