£180,000 available giving massive boost to community groups

Tower Hamlets Council’s support for the local voluntary and community sector (VCS) has been further boosted with £180,000 available annually for the next four years as part of a new small grants programme.

The programme will have a special focus on the borough’s small organisations where their local expertise and innovation improve the lives of residents and communities.

The programme provides three grant options – one offs up to £1,000, up to £5,000, which may be for two years, and up to £20,000 for larger scale projects that aim to improve community cohesion.

There are five themes in the programme:

Innovation to encourage creativity or pilot something new, especially where there is a gap.

Prevention to promote grass roots activity to reduce the impact on public services.

Neighbourhood action to promote local initiatives.

Community cohesion to develop community resilience, promote cultural opportunities and reduce social isolation.

Partnership working making the sector more effective through closer collaborative working within and across sectors.

John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets said: “We are proud to invest in this new scheme that supports the valuable role that our community and voluntary sector plays across the borough. I’d urge our local groups to bring their great ideas forward and help us make Tower Hamlets an even better place to live.”

Councillor Candida Ronald, Cabinet Member for Resources and the Voluntary Sector said: “This is great news for local community groups and we’ll work to encourage small organisations to make funding bids. We value their unique experience and expertise and look forward to working with them to improve our communities and the lives of our residents.”

The fund is being managed by the East End Community Foundation (EECF), who will be offering support for organisations to make their bids. The application process is now open and runs until 24 June, with projects expected to start in October 2019.  There will be further opportunities to apply for funding later in the year.