Projects including help for refugees, programmes for people with special needs and support for people with cancer
Forty-four arts groups, community projects, charities and local organisations have been recommended by a special council committee to receive a grant in the second round of funding under the Wandsworth Grant Fund, launched last April.
This follows the 28 local projects which shared a total of £179,405 in the first round last summer.
The Wandsworth Grant Fund supports a wide range of not for profit activities in the following categories:
Arts and Culture
Environment and Attractive Neighbourhoods
Children and Young People
Citizenship and Civic Engagement
Raising Aspirations and Potential
Health and Wellbeing
The new fund has streamlined the way the council allocates small grants. Just one team now manages the administration of various different grants that were previously overseen by several council departments, including funding towards the Wandsworth Arts Fringe.
Evaluation and assessment is done by specialist council offers and councillors scrutinise the process to ensure value for money and that money is going where it will most benefit borough residents. Recommendations for funding are expected to be agreed by a meeting of the council’s Executive on January 25.
Subject to the green light from councillors, projects receiving funding include: -
Fearless - the youth service of the Crimestoppers Trust. This programme is new to Wandsworth and aims to educate and empower 11-16 year olds by increasing their awareness around crime, and in particular the issue of weapon crime.
Share Community The ‘Yes Chef!’ project is aimed at preventing young people aged 18-25 with mild to moderate disabilities from being unemployed and out of education and training. Share will recruit and train these young adults in catering skills and employability. This project will support the health and wellbeing of the young people taking part. They will learn about good nutrition as part of the training and they’ll be physical and mentally active as they work in a real kitchen.
Puppets with Guts In early 2015, Puppets with Guts created an interactive big puppet spectacle called ‘Citizen Squid’ based around ideas of compassion and displacement. Using this puppet as a starting point, this project will work with 10-11 years olds from the Queenstown & Patmore Estate area, to create their own outdoor performance with professional artists.
CARAS youth club provides social, emotional and practical support to refugees and asylum seekers in Wandsworth. Young people aged 11-19 can relax, make friends, have homework help, cook and eat together in a safe, welcoming place where they can feel a sense of belonging in their new community.
Other projects and groups getting significant amounts of funding include:
Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers,
Chelsea FC Foundation,
Business Launchpad,
Paul's Cancer Support Centre,
Dolphin Special Needs Swimming Club,
Future Skills Training and
Emergency Exit Arts.
A range of sixteen arts projects were specifically recommended to share funding towards activities for the 2016 Wandsworth Arts Fringe to be held between May 6 and 22.
Grants committee chairman Cllr Will Sweet said:
“We introduced the Wandsworth Arts Fund to help make it easier for local groups to apply for funding, and to ensure the money went to projects that help make a real contribution to the borough and improve the lives of the people living here.
“This second round of applicants was of a very high standard, and I’m delighted so many worthy schemes are likely to get funding. I look forward to seeing what innovative, exciting projects apply for money in round three.”
To receive regular information about the fund by email, fill out the subscribers form at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/wgf.
To find out more about the Wandsworth Grant Fund:
Visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/wgf
Email wgf@wandsworth.gov.uk
January 15, 2016