Milton Keynes Community Foundation signs up to new Living Wage Friendly Funder Scheme

MK Community Foundation has received recognition as a Living Wage Friendly Funder in the UK.

The foundation supports successful applicant charities to pay the Living Wage to any grant-funded staff posts.

Living Wage Friendly Funders themselves are Living Wage Employers and then, where possible, also encourage grantees to become accredited employers over time.

They work together to end low pay in the voluntary and community sector.

Thousands of charities and funders have already embraced the real Living Wage across the UK, but low pay remains a significant challenge across the sector. The Living Wage Friendly Funder scheme has been funded by People’s Health Trust and developed in collaboration with a range of funders including Trust for London, Barrow Cadbury, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Comic Relief.

The minimum wage for those aged 25 and over in the UK is currently £7.50 an hour in the UK, but the Living Wage, a voluntary rate which is set independently and calculated in accordance to the basic cost of living in the UK, is considerably higher at £8.45, rising to £9.75 in London.

Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation said: “We are delighted to recognise MK Community Foundation as a Living Wage Friendly Funder. The leadership shown demonstrates a commitment to tackling the serious problems that low pay brings to our communities.

“Many organisations in the voluntary and community sectors are working hard to tackle social injustice and poverty; it’s only right that those committed to these roles are afforded at least a Living Wage. We hope to see many more funders and corporates follow the lead of MK Community Foundation and the other Living Wage Friendly Funders.

“At a time when half of those in poverty live in a household where someone has a job, the real Living Wage is much needed by families across the UK. The Living Wage is a robust calculation that reflects the real cost of living, rewarding a hard day’s work with a fair day’s pay.”