Building Strong Communities fund: round one recipients
We are pleased to announce the projects that we have funded from round one of the Building Strong Communities Fund. This Fund is for equity-led voluntary and community sector organisations to enable London communities to shape their recovery from COVID-19, through community-led projects.
Each of the funded projects will meet at least one of the following outcomes:
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Londoners are supported to shape their communities post COVID-19
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unheard voices are amplified and heard so that communities have influence and control over decisions
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feelings of belonging are increased; loneliness and social isolation are decreased
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feelings of connection within and across communities are increased.
Below you can find out more about the projects funded in round one:
Outcome one
Community Action to Inspire Hope
Creative tasks and peer support predominantly held in green spaces for people experiencing mental health issues in Lewisham
The Little Big Peace Event
15 women over 40 will have the opportunity to attend a four-week course of physical health and self-care activities, to reduce loneliness, depression and help with mental health in Lambeth
Power 2 Connect Community Interest Company
This project will support 160 parents and carers by the provision of Digital Skills and Online Safety sessions in Wandsworth to help reduce digital exclusion.
Bonnington Café Users Group
Neurodiverse young adults and residents of all ages will engage in cooking and healthy eating workshops in South London.
Outcome two
Resolve Now
This project will support 120 children living in Hackney and Haringey who have experienced loss of a loved one, via professional support, therapy, group-support and care packages. This will help children deal with their grief in a healthy way, moving forward towards happy health emotionally led life.
The Redbridge Music Lounge
25- 30 interactive concerts will be provided to care home residents in Redbridge.
Adanna Women’s Support Group
BAME girls aged 13-21 living in Redbridge will receive one to one mentoring from a person who they can identify with to build confidence, self - esteem and understand how to identify, develop, and maintain healthy relationships.
Goldstar Creative Marketing
Employment skills project which will support 250 young people who are no longer in the education system (NEET), unemployed and disadvantaged young women from Charedi communities in Barnet, Hackney and Haringey.
Dream Believe Achieve (DBA) CIC
The project will facilitate weekly mentoring, small IAG group workshops, sports and creative sessions aimed to decrease social isolation and improve the mental well-being of youths residing in high-risk areas. This will be within the South London Boroughs of Southwark, Lambeth and Lewisham struggling with a range of emotional and socioeconomic difficulties in which has been heightened by the pandemic.
Divine Buzz
Social, physical and educational programmes for women and children from the BAME community. This will be a 10 week programme including various activities including women’s physical exercise sessions and alternate cookery club, hair braiding and make-up sessions. Children will undertake debating/reading sessions, alternated with weekly fun fitness games. This project will help to improve the lives of women and children’s physical and mental health, build confidence and help to form long lasting friendships.
Parent Club
36 sessions will be run for 15 families to cook, eat and play together to reduce social isolation, improve nutrition and support mental wellbeing. Families with children under five living in temporary accommodation near the Round Chapel Old School Rooms in Hackney will be the target demographic for this project and 120 individuals will benefit.
Autism Voice Limited
40 adults with autism and or learning difficulties from the BAME community in Southwark will engage in wellbeing support group sessions and additional activities like mindfulness, neighbourhood walks, trips out, massage and gardening activities.
Sutton Women’s Network Project
60 marginalised women in the Borough of Sutton will participate in a range of activities that will reduce social isolation, build confidence, improve wellbeing and give them a voice.
Sonshine Club
BAME children with disabilities will participate in weekly 'Gardening Community' sessions in Springfield Park, Hackney, to reduce isolation and create a sense of belonging. Parents will have the opportunity to attend weekly support meetings to enable their voices to be heard, create a community and help shape local services.
JAGS Foundation
Cultures Together Through Food project will deliver eight monthly cultural cooking classes for local communities in Lambeth and Wandsworth to share grandmothers recipes and recite stories of different cultural heritage. This will reduce food poverty, bring together local people to foster friendships, break down barriers among people with different cultural backgrounds and steer community togetherness to reduce feelings of isolation.
Bromley Experts by Experience
A project co-produced with X by X Bromley and young disabled people to support 60+ disabled and non-disabled people by the provision of Disability Pride 2022. This will be one event plus weekly group sessions with 10 young disabled people in Bromley to create a powerful and immediate impact on the local community on how disability is viewed.
Haringey Circle
A wellbeing project that will support 300+ older people in Haringey through delivery of weekly social activities and events designed to keep participants active, to provide peer support, and to gain new skills and knowledge.
Coco Collective Community Hub
Support for 40 people from the BAME community through food growing workshops. The food growing skills gained from a diaspora led community garden, located in Lewisham will help tackle food insecurity improve mental well-being and encourage feelings of belonging.
Middle Eastern Women and Society Organisation
In person and online befriending sessions for 30 LGBTQ+ women from Middle Eastern background from London.
The Families Support Group
Support for 950 people from the French and Lingala Speaking Families in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets by providing them with a Healthy Living Community Hub for the provision of advice and guidance sessions, workshops on health-related matters.
For Women CIC
Women supporting women project, to give women the opportunity to gain the tools necessary to expand their skills and discover their own potential through personal development across London.
ACE
Motive 8 is an after-school club in Hackney with an aim of improving mental health of 100 young girls aged 8-17 years affected by COVID-19.
Hawa Trust
The project will use yoga sessions to support 55 BAME migrant women in Hackney affected by FGM and domestic violence to improve their physical health and mental wellbeing and develop emotional resilience and strength.
Hodan Somali Community
60 disadvantaged women from diverse ethnic groups, especially Black and Asian elders will be offered, befriending, advice, and fitness classes in West London. It will increase feelings of connection and belonging and will reduce loneliness and social isolation.
Home Start Bromley
At least 70 parents will be supported through specialist parenting workshops, programmes and events to support families within the London Borough of Bromley to tackle post covid isolation, loneliness and help families impacted by domestic abuse.
Sutton Seniors’ Forum
This project will support socially isolated, older and vulnerable members of London Borough of Sutton by providing bi-monthly lunch on Sunday, known to be the loneliest day.
Project Spotlight
Project Spotlight is an exciting talent development and performance project for 120 disadvantaged young people from Hackney, aged eight to 12. The overall ambition for this project is to boost the self-esteem, relationships and resilience of the beneficiaries, who have been hit inordinately hard by COVID-19.
Disability Croydon
A community hub with an accessible drop-in and café developing peer support, networks, providing information and advice, social and craft activities, digital training and assorted workshops supporting over 300 people who are isolated, vulnerable or lonely in the South London area
Muslim Women's Welfare Assoc
Computer literacy and dressmaking project working with 50 ethnic minority women in Redbridge.
Outcome three
Friends of Yeading Walk
The project will enable 40 people in Harrow to plant trees in a local park to help mitigate the effects of climate change. The aim is to bring the community together and increase the use of the park by all groups of people living in the area.
Parentskills2go CIC
Parents carers and their children living in South-East London will be supported to help improve their financial capacity and manage their affairs leading to them realising their financial dreams.
Angie's Keep calm and Sing group
Through singing workshops this project will bring together 30 people with an emphasis on refugee Afghanistan community, BAME, and older people who may be isolated to help combat loneliness and social isolation.
Perry Lodge Committee
A greenhouse garden will be created to support 43 elderly residents living in sheltered accommodation named Perry Lodge in East London. The garden will help them boost their physical and mental health, through a holistic and healing process.
Express Tuition Ltd
60 migrant parents and 48 vulnerable children coming from diverse ethnic backgrounds will be inspired and motivated to help them overcome their anxiety through the implementation of periodical tuition in English and Maths. Children will receive tuition to bridge the attainment gap seen in these communities.
The Advantage Grp CIC
Irin Ajo is a mentorship scheme which has created a safe space, supporting 20 Black and marginalised youth aged 18-23, from London to reach their business and personal goals, build their networks and improve their mental health.
BeLifted
Mother and daughter support group providing debt management classes, a book club for young girls and fitness service in Camden and Barnet to reduce isolation, poverty and improve mental wellbeing.
Root 'n' Branch CIC
100 residents of the Studley Estate in Lambeth, will be engaged in in the development and use of a green space through participation in 30 facilitated workshops/events.
Connect: North Korea
Community outreach project for North Korean refugees and asylum seekers in New Malden offering support to problem-solve, provide advice, and enabling access to available services.
Kiki Youth Education CIC
Project supporting 50 LGBT+ Young people through mentoring and group support through Proud North London [Barnet, Enfield and Waltham Forest] and Proud NewHamlets [Newham and Tower Hamlets] to reduce isolation and social anxiety when meeting others and promote positive health and well-being among the LGBT+ Youth community.
Lev Echod Cancer Care
Braved and Bereaved will create a network of support for young people in bereavement through peer and professional support in Hackney.
Outcome four
Haringey over 50s Forum
Reminiscence newsletter designed to represent members’ voices in campaigns and consultations via newsletters and through their experiences.
LGBT CLT
An LBGTQ+ project that seeks to provide homes where this community can live safely and free of oppression. The project will facilitate dialogue around the topic and inform future decisions to demonstrably influence and shape direction and the housing they will eventually provide.
Aip Community
The project looks to support 50 young people not in education or training, in gaining level 1 project management and leadership qualification, then creating a social action project engaging over 200 young people.
Therapy 4 Healing - T4H
This project will support Global Majority women and girls who have experienced Domestic Abuse by providing: 100 x online/F2F specialist counselling sessions and 10 x Group Sessions in Lewisham, Croydon, Southwark and Greenwich.
YSL Academy CIC
This project will support 75 youths aged 16-24 with weekly (three-hour sessions) in music, performance, writing workshops with award winning and upcoming artists, writers, producers and vocalists.
Residents United Forum (RUF)
Residents United Forum will support 200 disabled people in Newham to have their voices heard, to raise the issues that are important to them and to shape the services they receive. The project is led by and for disabled people.