Better Bankside has awarded grant funding to nine Southwark-based organisations to deliver projects and services that will help bring people together, boost
their mental wellbeing and provide other support during the cost-of-living crisis.
The funds have been allocated as part of Better Bankside’s Community Grants programme, with funding available for both one-off as well as ongoing projects,
with a focus on rebuilding connections, tackling the cost-of-living crisis and supporting Southwark’s diverse communities.
Grants worth nearly £8,000 span a wide range of activities, from discussion groups and community meals to education and skills for children and young people. Funding has been awarded to the following organisations:
· Bankside Open Spaces Trust
will create a mental health themed walking trail and mindful gardening activities, celebrating the history and meaning of the Touch 4 Love sign at Crossbones Graveyard & Remembrance Garden
·
Blackfriars Settlement
will be able to offer a weekly discussion group for women with mental health challenges, offering a safe space for discussion and building peer support
· Children & Family Empowerment Fund will use the grant to extend its foodbank service, helping cover the costs of extra food and baby goods for families in need across Southwark
· Coin Street Centre Trust will work with local young people to plan, prepare and serve a community meal in December for local older, supporting intergenerational connections
· Nature Vibezzz will provide a six-week programme of Forest School activities at the Galleywall Nature Reserve for local families with pre-school and home-educated children
· Redeemed Assemblies Trust will buy a gazebo and fencing so that they can provide a safe outside waiting area for people using their foodbank services, based near the Old Kent Road
· Sculpt will offer ‘skill boxes’ to young people aged 14-25 from some of the most disadvantaged areas in Southwark, giving them vital resources and tools to secure employment
· The Outside Project is setting up a group to offer young LGBTIQ+ and neurodiverse people the opportunity to connect with each other through video and board games where they can see themselves represented in the characters
· Wilder, a local social enterprise, is creating a new green space in the area, and will engage schools to design bug hotels and deliver community gardening workshops as part of this project.
Rachel Nicholson, Responsible Business & Inclusion Manager said: “”Being rooted in our community is part of Better Bankside’s DNA, with Bankside businesses keen to play an active part in shaping our neighbourhood. The Community Grants programme helps us extend the reach of that support, offering vital funding that can make positive change in the face of urban challenges here in Bankside and in some of Southwark’s most deprived areas, where people are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. The eight projects chosen to receive grants provide opportunities for all generations, be it supporting families and those in need, connecting people who may feel isolated and alone, or teaching skills that can lead to long term changes.”
Better Bankside’s Community Grant programme is funded by a proportion of the BID Levy paid by Bankside-based businesses, and used to fund charities and community
groups that benefit the community in Bankside as well as extending this support to disadvantaged areas of Southwark. All grant requests are reviewed by representatives of Bankside businesses who are members of Better Bankside’s Corporate Responsibility Theme
Group.
