Community groups, residents associations, sports clubs and grassroots organisations based in the borough have all been awarded funding in the latest round of allocations from the council’s ‘Big Society’ fund.

They have been given the cash to help improve their neighbourhoods and carry out valuable voluntary work in their communities.

Just under £50,000 has been provided to 17 local groups following the latest round of bids. This brings the total amount of cash awarded to good causes in the borough over the past 18 months to almost £220,000. Applications for the next round of funding will be sought in the coming months.

Groups that have just received money include sheltered housing schemes, youth groups, voluntary agencies and charities that work with young children and teenagers, disabled people, older residents the unemployed and those that support vulnerable people living in the borough.

Among the groups that successfully applied to the Big Society fund were Roehampton-based SHINE Again which supports young children who face the risk of exclusion, have experienced trauma or have been disagnosed with ADHD or autism, will receive £4,000 to continue its good work in the community.

The BWB Foundation, based at Battersea Caius youth club, which has been awarded £4,700 to run a 12 week programme, in conjunction with Battersea fire station, teaching youngsters the skills and discipline of boxing.

The Furzedown Youth Centre in Tooting has been awarded £4,150 to teach young people how to prepare and cook healthy and nutritious dishes from across the globe.

A grant of just under £5,000 will help the FAST youth mentoring project carry on its work with young people in Battersea by helping them improve their job prospects by staging a series of workshops designed to uncover hidden talents, improve interview techniques and instil basic business skills.

The Kambala Residents Association in Battersea has won £2,700 for a gardening project to improve their housing estate and work with residents on a fruit and vegetable planting initiative.

And the Language Centre in Augustus Road, Southfields, will be using its £1,000 grant to provide a crèche for working parents, offer foreign language classes for older children struggling with their school work and also offer tuition to very young children whose first language is not English.

Cabinet member for finance Cllr Guy Senior said:
“This funding will support local organisations and groups of residents who have come together to improve their neighbourhoods and enhance the lives of others. Their hard work and commitment is one of the reasons why Wandsworth has such a thriving and important voluntary sector. The council is determined to play its role in supporting these groups that do so much on behalf of our community.”

Local groups interested in finding out more about the council’s Big Society Fund can visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/wbsf or request details by emailing wbsf@wandsworth.gov.uk.

Information about volunteering opportunities in the borough can be found at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/volunteering and also at www.volunteeringwandsworth.org.uk. To speak to someone about volunteering call 0300 365 9950 on weekdays between 10am and 4pm or email enquiry@volunteeringwandsworth.org.uk

November 26, 2012