Group get money from Community Grants Fund

Another 12 donations of up to £5,000 have been handed out to organisations working in our operating regions as part of our Community Grants Fund.

This is the second year we’ve run the Community Grants Fund, with the latest round opening in January. It saw organisations invited to apply for grants to support their work and delivering services to communities which improve the health and wellbeing or economic resilience of local residents.

This aligns with our own Improving Lives vision and we’re delighted to announce the latest grants have now been awarded, totalling more than £53,000.

Sue Crask, Community Programmes Manager, said: “Our Community Grants Fund is a wonderful opportunity to support charities and not-for-profit organisations doing great work in our communities.

“As a Group, we’re committed to supporting the health and wellbeing and economic resilience of our customers, but we know there are also other groups which are doing some great work in the community to achieve these outcomes.

“We believe it’s important to support these pieces of work as a collaborative approach will help us all achieve our aims. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the money is spent by the recipients and finding out about the work it enables them to do.”

Lyse Stephenson, Operations Manager at Friendship at Home, which is an organisation that aims to combat loneliness and isolation among older people in North East Lincolnshire, said the money will help them teach older people how to use digital technologies. She said: “We’re so grateful for the money we’ve received from Longhurst Group

Our Community Grants Fund is a wonderful opportunity to support charities and not-for-profit organisations doing great work in our communities.

“It’s already starting to make a difference as we’ve been able to deliver digital and online training to the older people using our service.

“Our Project Worker has been able to show people how to use a tablet, but also help them feel safe when they’re using apps and so they know that the services they’re accessing are secure.”

Andy Hawes, Co-ordinator of Walsall Carers Centre, said he was thrilled to have received funding from the Community Grants Fund.

He said: “This money is going to the young carers support group – we’ve got 30 young carers aged between eight and 18 who are looking after family members struggling with a disability of some kind.

“These young carers tend to miss out on their ‘normal’ life, so we want to try to give a bit of that back. “This money will go on the wages of the person that looks after that side of things. She’ll talk with all the families to help to sort out any problems. We’re very grateful indeed.”

Read more about how money from the first phase of the Community Grants Fund has been used.

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