GeeWizz Charitable Foundation closed on 31st March 2023, after seven years of operation. Since our inception in 2015, we are immensely proud of all that we have achieved across Suffolk. We would like to thank our small in-house team, Chairman, Trustees, Ambassadors, wonderful volunteers, including Susan Rush who has been with us since day one, and our generous donors and supporters, who have helped change local lives. We remain indebted for all of the media support we have received in helping us spread the word.
GeeWizz has raised over £2 million and delivered numerous life-enhancing projects for children and young people across Suffolk with high dependency disabilities, life-limiting illness, or cancer. We are also hugely proud of the support we have been able to give to Sarcoma UK, an incredible charity that is so close to our hearts, funding vital research into bone and soft tissue cancer.
The difficult decision to close GeeWizz has not been made lightly. It is for no other reason than Aileen Belsberg, our CEO has decided it is time to step down due to personal and family priorities, along with the fact that our founder, Gina Long MBE, has been trying hard for some time to semi-retire, to spend precious time focusing on family, along with having the time and flexibility for the other charity projects and campaigning, she is so passionate about. As a very small team we are united with love, having taken everything into consideration, it felt the natural course of action to close at this time.
GeeWizz will fund projects in 2023 and 2024 that we have already committed to support and, as always, we are totally committed to ensuring transparency throughout everything we do and proudly deliver. This will be reflected in all we do as we close together, with love, kindness and consideration.
For over seven years, we have never ceased to be truly overwhelmed by the incredible generosity of all the individuals and companies who so readily and generously gave their support in abundance. There have been so many special highlights, too numerous to mention, from our popular Pumpkin Patch, and Midsummer Night’s fundraisers, to Christmas Jumper Days, Golf Tournaments, John Sheeran’s ‘My Life in Art’ at Elveden Hall, the Maggi Hambling CBE Sunrise painting donation and, above all, The Ed Sheeran: ‘Made in Suffolk’ Legacy Auction which raised £506,000. Proceeds from the auction, along with Guy Nicholls, Tru7 Group’s £100,000 donation and groundworks in-kind, funded the re-development of new playgrounds for SENDs pupils at The Thomas Wolsey Ormiston Academy in Ipswich, as well as an outreach programme and palliative care for young people with life-limiting illness through Zest (part of the St Elizabeth Hospice family).
Through these events and our incredible supporters, GeeWizz has been able to fund capital projects and individual children and families across Suffolk, helping to change so many lives. We are so honoured to have supported Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds SENsory Youth Theatre programme, and Bury Disability Football Club, for over three years and counting.
GeeWizz has also funded equipment for schools and colleges across the county, including sensory magic carpets; many hearing aids, their battery chargers and school sound systems; an accessible music pod at Sir Robert Hitcham Primary in Framlingham and an ‘Everyday Living Flat’ at West Suffolk College, Minden House.
In addition, we have been privileged to support local families by funding several house renovations to enable disability access; along with supplying much needed bespoke equipment including wheelchairs, portable hoists, custom-made electric beds and car seats; supported fuel costs for hospital visits and day to day family expenses; as well as funding hydrotherapy and physiotherapy sessions for many years.
It is a natural moment for GeeWizz to close on a very happy and proud note, reflecting on its great legacy, having created from scratch and without any grants whatsoever, delivering highly successful fundraising initiatives and having given life-enhancing support to children, young people and families across Suffolk.
All that remains is to reiterate our heartfelt thanks to you, all of our wonderful supporters, volunteers, sponsors and donors for enabling GeeWizz to leave such a lasting legacy and helping to change so many local lives here in Suffolk, one we will be forever proud to have played a part in.
Gina, Aileen, Ellie, Katie and Jess, will be forever proud to have played their part as we close united and with love.
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
– Winnie the Pooh, A.A. Milne
Why is the charity closing?
The difficult decision to close GeeWizz has not been made lightly. It is for no other reason than Aileen Belsberg, our CEO has decided it is time to step down due to personal and family priorities, along with the fact that our founder, Gina Long MBE, has been trying hard for some time to semi-retire, to spend precious time focusing on family, along with having the time and flexibility for the other charity projects and campaigning, she is so passionate about. As a very small team we are united with love, having taken everything into consideration, it felt the natural course of action to close at this time.
What will happen to the charity's assets and resources?
In line with the charity’s firm commitment to transparency, in which it has always operated under, GeeWizz will be closing entirely following the rules and guidelines of the Charity Commission. We are committed to funding all the 2023 and 2024 projects we have pledged to support. GeeWizz’s physical assets and resources will be sold or donated, all funds from which will go towards families, projects and charities within our charity auspices. Any remaining assets will be donated with love to Sarcoma UK, a wonderful charity, very close to our hearts, which we are proud to support.
Will the closure impact any ongoing projects or initiatives the charity was involved in?
GeeWizz is committed to funding all of the projects we have pledged to support in 2023 and 2024, prior to closure.
What will happen to the employees, volunteers, and other staff?
We are so very grateful to everyone who has supported GeeWizz from the outset since launching in 2015. To all our wonderful volunteers who have so freely given their time; thank you all. Your support has helped us to change local lives here in Suffolk.
We are also indebted to our Chairman, Trustees, Patron and Charity Ambassadors who have been invaluable advocates for GeeWizz, and all we have worked to achieve.
Whilst sad to leave, our dynamic, small, in-house team are united together in bidding the fondest farewell, filled with love and pride in all we have achieved. By mutual agreement with GeeWizz Charity closing, there will be two redundancies. The team leave proud in the knowledge of what they have achieved within their individual roles, and we are all leaving as life-time dear friends.
Why so soon?
GeeWizz Charity has been operational since it was founded by Gina Long MBE, in 2015. In those years we have raised over £2 million and with such active and generous support, we have helped to change many local lives. It is not a decision that has been made lightly. It is for no other reason than Aileen Belsberg, our CEO has decided it is time to step down due to personal and family priorities, along with the fact that our founder, Gina Long MBE, has been trying hard for some time to semi-retire, to spend precious time focusing on family, along with having the time and flexibility for the other charity projects and campaigning, she is so passionate about.
As a very small team we are united, having taken everything into consideration, it felt the natural course of action. The GeeWizz Team wishes each other every happiness and they shall remain life-long friends. It has been a great honour, one which Gina, Aileen, Ellie, Katie, and Jess, shall forever reflect upon with much gratitude and affection, as we bid you the fondest farewell and enter a new chapter in our lives.
Did founder Gina Long, ever receive a salary at GeeWizz?
No, Gina has always given her time to GeeWizz as a volunteer, freely and happily.
What does the future of charity campaigning look like for Gina Long MBE?
Gina has volunteered her time and energy, for GeeWizz and other charities, and has raised over £7 million for charity and still counting. In December 2015, Gina was awarded an MBE for services to the charity sector, and will continue to mentor, campaign, and fundraise for many charities she so passionately supports. A long-term supporter and Ambassador of Sarcoma UK, a wonderful charity very close to her heart, Gina will continue to advocate and fundraise for their vital sarcoma cancer research. As an Ambassador and Patron for Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Libraries, Ipswich and Suffolk Business Club and West Suffolk College, Gina will continue to advocate for their amazing work and community programmes within the Suffolk community.
“I think I was put on the planet to make positive change happen. It doesn’t feel like work to me.” – Gina Long MBE
I entered the SMART raffle, what happens now?
To all those who entered the SMART charity raffle, we would sincerely like to thank you and assure you will have been issued a full refund, which you will have received before 31st March 2023. The Terms & Conditions of the raffle state that GeeWizz Charity may (without giving any reason or notice, at its absolute discretion) terminate or suspend the raffle. By purchasing an entry you agree to these terms and conditions. GeeWizz Charity's decisions pursuant to these terms and conditions shall be final and binding.
It is a natural moment for GeeWizz to close on a very happy and proud note, reflecting on its great legacy, having created from scratch and without any grants whatsoever, delivering highly successful fundraising initiatives and having given life-enhancing support to children, young people and families across Suffolk.
All that remains is to reiterate our heartfelt thanks to you, all of our wonderful supporters, volunteers, sponsors and donors for enabling GeeWizz to leave such a lasting legacy and helping to change so many local lives here in Suffolk, along with funding vital research into bone and soft tissue cancer at Sarcoma UK, all of which we will be forever proud to have played a part in.