- Date Thursday, 16 November 2023
Better Bankside has awarded grant funding to five charities and community organisations to deliver projects and services that will make a difference to people living in Bankside and across Southwark.
The funds have been allocated as part of Better Bankside’s Community Grants programme, with funding available for both one-off costs and ongoing projects, with a focus on bringing people together; helping people affected by the cost of living crisis; and offering support to develop skills or move into employment for people at risk of homelessness.
Funding has been awarded to the following organisations:
- Blackfriars Settlement will launch a new breakfast club for people with mental health challenges, combining practical support with advice about how to manage the increase in anxiety people are experiencing due to the cost-of-living crisis.
- Employment4All will use the grant to invest in a specialist recruitment software package that will make it easier for them to provide detailed 1-to-1 assistance to people looking for work through their Community Job Surgeries in Peckham and Walworth.
- Plan Zheroes need to update the equipment they use to collect, weigh and sort the surplus food donations they collect from Borough Market traders. Plan Zheroes run four collections each week at the market, offering vital support to many other local charities through their work.
- Southwark Black Parents Forum is a new organisation that will use the funds to deliver an event to support local families, including inviting expert speakers to provide advice and guidance on topics such as upskilling by finding free training courses, and how to make the most of local careers services.
- The Neurodiversity Family Hub runs a playgroup for neurodiverse children and offers support to their families; they will use the grant to cover the costs of offering specialist support to parents and carers, as well as towards key running costs including first aid training and room hire.
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 Responsible Business and Inclusion Theme Group.
A second round of applications will open in early 2024.
For more information about the Community Grants, or joining the Responsible Business and Inclusion Theme Group, please contact Rachel Nicholson, Responsible Business & Inclusion Manager: rn@betterbankside.co.uk
