We sat down with Andy Frankish, CEO of MAB Foundation, to ask him about Mortgage Advice Bureau’s new foundation, and how we can get involved to support the great work that’s happening in our local communities.
What is MAB Foundation?
The Mortgage Advice Bureau Foundation is a grant-giving charity that supports sustainable community-based projects throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
We aim to help communities lead local initiatives with a neighbourhood-scale approach, but with national scalability.
Our main focus is on sustainability, but this goes much further than environmental issues. It's about ensuring a strong, healthy society by promoting personal wellbeing, healthy recreation, social cohesion and inclusion, and equal opportunity.
Why was the foundation set up?
We wanted to get people involved in what’s happening in their own communities. The recent pandemic brought us closer to our communities as we shopped local and started chatting to our neighbours more. For many, this opened their eyes to the needs of the local community right on their doorstep, and it’s this sense of community we want to encourage.
What is its purpose?
The foundation focuses on three main areas:
Environment and conservation - Educate others on how to make greener choices and encourage communities to lower their carbon footprint.
Health and wellbeing - Help communities combat health and wellbeing issues to improve their quality of life.
The prevention or relief of poverty - Helping communities through financial hardship and social exclusion.
Are there any exciting projects in the pipeline?
Yes, we’re considering some exciting and incredibly worthwhile projects right now. Sadly, we can't support them all so we’re prioritising those that fit closest to our core values. We hope to complete on our first grant in late September!
Who chooses the projects you work on?
Projects are nominated by our customers, staff and approved business partners. Creating awareness amongst our staff and customers is a very important part of the foundation’s mission.
All applications are assessed by the foundation committee who use a scoring matrix to make sure the purpose of the grant fits the charity’s objectives. All successful applications are then signed off by the Trustees.
What do you love most about MAB Foundation?
The genuine support and passion of the people who get involved.
I personally love to see the diverse interests of the people I meet, and the fact that we’re all here to do the right thing and give a little back. There’s no better feeling. Charity is as much about the people involved as it is the money raised.
What are your hopes for the future of MAB Foundation?
I’d love to increase the number of projects we support with external fundraising in 2023. Our goal is to distribute £1m in grant funding over the next five years.
How can we get involved?
If there’s a project you’re passionate about then get in touch by emailing [email protected]
We can have a chat and let you know how we can help.
How can we find out what’s happening in our local areas?
If you want to get involved but you’re not sure how, try Googling what’s happening in your local area and see what strikes a cord with you. You can also use Crowdfunder to search for existing projects near you.
If you know someone who already supports a local charity in some way, have a chat with them and see how you could get involved too.
For more information about MAB Foundation, contact [email protected]
Important information
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
There may be a fee for mortgage advice. The actual amount you pay will depend on your circumstances. The fee is up to 1% but a typical fee is 0.3% of the amount borrowed.