Lauren Cropper
29
May
2025
•
2
min read
A Wednesday morning email from 1284 Communications has helped Leicestershire charity Menphys secure £10,000 of funding.
Account Director Amy Orton spotted a call out from East Midlands Railways for regional community organisations and charities based within 15km of its stations to apply to its Community Fund.
After reading through the criteria and realising Menphys was a match, Amy flagged to Menphys CEO Robert Martin and COO Emma Sharpe.
Menphys, an award-winning charity in Leicestershire that supports children with SEND and their families, learned this week that its application had been successful.
1284 has worked with the charity for more than two years and is a member of its Menphys Sports Club business networking group.
The East Midlands Railways’ Community Fund has now awarded the South Wigston-based charity £10,000.
CEO Robert Martin said: “The financial and fundraising landscape is as tough as it’s ever been, so securing grants like this is essential for Menphys to continue providing services and support.
“We’ve worked hard this year to bring some new support programmes online and maintain others and funding has been a challenge.
“Being awarded the EMR money means we are able to provide family support, inclusive days at the Menphys Hub, days out for SEND children and trips on trains.”
Amy added: “We’ve worked with Menphys for a while now and we always try to think and act like an extension of the team.
“It’s the same approach we take with all of our clients - acting as their eyes and ears for emerging funding opportunities.
“Telling the stories of people Menphys supports means I know how important funds like this are - that email might be the best one I’ve ever sent!”
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1284 Communications works to promote East Midlands innovation and regional economic development.
As a Leicestershire PR agency, we also support a number of nonprofits in the city and county.
As well as volunteering and sponsorship, we provide reduced rates for nonprofits operating in our areas of specialism.
1284’s Community Impact package is aimed at raising the profile and fundraising of East Midlands nonprofits with £1-3m turnover.
Our team are familiar with typical challenges faced by charities in 2025, including:
Our approach focuses on applying an entrepreneurial lens to nonprofit narratives - helping effective organisations like Menphys demonstrate their value to funding providers and position for sustained growth.
We help nonprofits tell their stories effectively and drive positive change within their communities.
Read more about the comms impact seen at Menphys.
