Community Improvement fund launched

Following the success of our Social Isolation Fund earlier this year, we launched a new initiative called the Community Improvement Fund.

This saw constituted residents’ groups and colleagues invited to apply for grants of up to £800 for the groups or schemes where they work.

The fund was launched to support projects and initiatives which would improve community health and wellbeing, encourage or create community cohesion or reduce social isolation.

Sue Crask, Community Programmes Manager, said: “It’s important for us to reach out to our customers and communities to help support them to improve their health and wellbeing and reduce isolation and loneliness.

“Both of these are key priorities for us in delivering our Improving Lives strategy.

It’s important to us to support smaller groups and organisations which may have difficulty accessing funding opportunities in other ways. We’re now looking forward to seeing updates from the projects that have benefited from the money.

“Once applications were submitted, they were considered by a panel of colleagues and involved customers. We’re delighted to say that we were able to make awards to seven different applicants for various projects.

“These include support to set up a breakfast club and cooking classes for residents at a scheme and improving outdoor areas so that customers have more pleasant places to enjoy the weather in the summer.

“As the money has only just been allocated, we’re yet to see the impact of these grants, but it’s great to know that we’re able to offer support in this way.

“It’s important to us to support smaller groups and organisations which may have difficulty accessing funding opportunities in other ways.

“We’re now looking forward to seeing updates from the projects that have benefited from the money.”