To find out more about our impact, click on our latest annual report
A lot of our work couldn’t take place without the support of members of our local community.
Many of our established programmes are funded by grants from several brilliant funders, whilst the pilots and niche projects tend to be reliant on local support.
How to donate
It couldn’t be simpler to donate to us, with cash, cheque or online banking, even by text from your mobile phone.
Cash – we have cash donation pots and buckets at our Creative Hub and all over the Island. If you own or manage a site and would like to host a collection pot for us, do contact [email protected]
Cheque – cheques should be made payable to Independent Arts and sent to us at The Creative Hub, 48/49 High Street, Newport, PO30 1SE. Do ask for a gift aid declaration form if you are a UK taxpayer, as that will enable us to claim and extra £1 for every £4 you donate to us and it costs you nothing more.
Online – couldn’t be simpler – just click on the Donate button at the top of the screen to donate using a debit or credit card. Again, please let us know if your gift is eligible for gift-aid. Our online giving portal is safe and secure.
If you’d prefer to make an online payment through your own bank’s system, please email [email protected] for our bank details.
Donate now – You can support the difference Independent Arts make by making a one-off donation here
OR donate £5 instantly by texting ‘INDEPENDENTARTS’ to 70085!
Independent Arts Giving Club (regular giving)
We’re pleased to have launched the Independent Arts Giving Club in April 2021, meaning you can now give regularly and support the difference Independent Arts makes in exchange for some great benefits and rewards, as well as the knowledge that your monthly contribution to our work is making a real difference to the lives of isolated and vulnerable people on the Isle of Wight.
You can pick the support level that best suits you, from £5 a month to £30 a month, each package with its own corresponding ‘rewards’ in exchange for your support. Alternatively, if you would like to become a regular giver and join our Giving Club and want nothing in return (other than our thanks!) you can opt to select your own amount.
To set up your monthly donation via direct debit, head to our Donate page and select ‘I’d like to give regularly’, the amount you would like to give, and then complete the direct debit form.
Pencil Case – £5 per month:
With this gift you’ll be enabling someone who is lonely or anxious to join weekly creative sessions in which to make new friends and learn different ways to socialise.
Rewards:
- Quarterly newsletter updating you on how much you have given thus far, and what this gift has meant to the people attending our creative sessions.
- General monthly newsletter
- Christmas card from the charity
- A copy of our annual report
Paint Brushes – £10 per month:
With this gift you’ll be helping a children from disadvantaged backgrounds to enjoy arts based gift packs and enhanced support to encourage their creativity and learning.
Rewards:
- Everything included above
- An invite to two events at the hub each year
- Exclusive previews exhibitions at the hub – group viewings with other ‘Paint Brushes’ members
- An invite to join a private ‘Independent Arts Supporters’ Facebook group, for details of upcoming events, fundraisers and projects.
Canvas & Easel – £30 per month:
With this gift you’ll be supporting the programmes to help with complex social needs to rediscover their confidence and gain the skills to become an active member of the community.
Rewards:
- Everything included above
- Pre-sale tickets to all hub events each year
- VIP personal previews to exhibitions at the hub – one on one preview
- Opportunity to join arts workshops and learn new skills for free
- A no obligation opportunity to join a bi-annual supporter update meeting
Your Own Amount
You can also opt to support the work of Independent Arts without receiving any rewards, simply enter your own monthly amount when setting up your direct debit. Though you won’t receive any rewards, you will of course receive our grateful thanks!
The Big Give Christmas Challenge – thank you!
Thanks so much to everyone who has donated to Independent Arts via The Big Give Christmas Challenge and shared our Ageing Artfully campaign between November 30th and December 7th 2021. Each donation was match-funded by The Reed Foundation and we raised £4500, exceeding our Big Give target!
A huge thanks from our participants, staff, volunteers and practitioners. What an amazing total with which Independent Arts have supported more isolated and vulnerable island residents in 2022.
For this year, our Big Give Christmas Challenge project is called Supporting Young Minds. This will enable almost 100 young people and local artists to work together to explore the Biosphere and what that means to them. The programme will aim for a number of outcomes including improved mental health and will be evaluated by Sussex University. We will be aiming to raise £3,000 via The Big Give portal from mid-day on Tuesday 29th November to mid-day on Tuesday 6th December. Every pound you give will be matched DOUBLE. You can donate to this year’s Big Give campaign here
Become a Trustee
Our board of trustees oversees the charity’s activities and development. The trustees meet four times a year. We also have a finance and resource sub committee who meet four times a year. This is an unpaid, voluntary role, which takes a variable amount of time but is crucial to the charity’s success.
Independent Arts’ board of trustees oversees the charity’s activities and development, providing essential governance and reporting annually to the Charity Commission and Companies House. The day-to-day operational delivery is delegated through our Chief Executive, who manages the staff team, freelance arts practitioners, other key suppliers and volunteers.
A good trustee board is diverse, inclusive and collaborative with a range of skills necessary to run a charity – and is replenished regularly to keep it fresh! We are pleased to hear from people who may be interested in becoming a trustee at any time. We normally hold recruitment discussions in the Autumn each year.
We are keen to hear from people who feel they could offer the charity their time and skills, particularly with professional experience in any of these areas:
- mental health services
- education
- care sector
As an island charity it is vital that trustees live on the Isle of Wight. For more information please email: [email protected]
Useful resources
- For an introduction to the role of charity trustees, the Charity Commission produces this useful guide.
- You can find Independent Arts’ latest annual report here.
- Independent Arts’ Memorandum and Articles of Association (July 1987) can be found here.
