Building Strong Communities fund: round three recipients

Lambeth Asian Centre (LAC) 

Enable older Asian people to have Aging-friendly community-based activities with aims primarily targeting those who are socially excluded, lonely and living separate lives in the neighbourhoods or communities, helping them promote their psychosocial well-being and integration. 

The Women's Decision Group CIC 

This project supports women and children of the BAME community who are experiencing Domestic Violence, through the provision of a weekly workshop to enhance skills, alongside working with other professionals in the borough.  

Alanouwaly Salifou Sylla Foundation 

Salifest will support 4 local community groups and other individuals, to rehearse and perform at a community music festival with around 200 participants from Lewisham diverse communities to watch performances and participate in music and dance workshops. It will connect people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to socialise and learn from each other.  

Find out more about Alanouwaly Salifou Sylla Foundation.

Caldwell Gardens Community Gardening 

This project will reboot a gardening group by improving and enlarging the food growing area in raised beds and will involve more people from the community. The children's garden is an important new feature, giving them agency over a small area. The design makes full use of the existing seating, creating pockets of spaces for communal activities and gatherings, surrounded by greenery.  

Daylight Studio 

Daylight Studio and PMEP are partnering to pilot a music production workshop at Premises Studios with the aim of assisting young people with their own music production challenges. Daylight Studio Artists can create in a professional recording studio and integrate neurodivergent disabled people with young people to tackle any preconceptions young people have towards disabled people. 

Find out more about Daylight Studio.

Heartlink Ealing Hospital Heart Support Group 

Heartlink Community Hub provides a centre with services to heart patients including heart health advice, welfare benefits, advocacy and social events. Expansion will include exercise classes, a graded rehabilitation scheme, basic IT training to address digital inequality, and healthy nutritional meals in a warm supportive community.  

Find out more about Heartlink Ealing - Heart Support Group - BHF.

Powerhouse for Women 

This project will facilitate 30 women with learning disabilities the provision of 40 weekly art making sessions in Newham. It will include having an art exhibition, a trip to National Gallery, making outdoor art in nature, linking with other art organisations and printing a colouring-in book and cards.  

Human Rights Solidarity 

Monthly Breakfast and Learning Sessions for asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants who are socially isolated and are facing financial hardship. This grant will allow them to get out of their home and go to a warm venue and have breakfast, socialise with other members of the community and learn about British History. 

Find out more about HRS – Solidarity for All.

The Community Worlds (UK) Ltd 

This project will support the social inclusion, integration, and emotional wellbeing of 40 refugees in Enfield by the provision of weekly badminton and exercise sessions followed by periodical online English lessons through which they can improve their physical and mental health, spoken English alongside making friendships.  

Find out more about The Community Worlds UK.

Youth PWR Charity 

This project will support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Croydon by facilitating recreational, fun and interactive activities such as sports, games, movies and self-care routines. This will help young people feel a sense of belonging and community, improve their physical and mental wellness, and build their confidence. 

Find out more about Youth PWR Charity.

Well Street Common User Group 

Well Street Common Summer Festival 2024 will support 3,600 residents from Hackney to be more connected and build stronger communities by signposting the community to a wide range of local organisations and charities that will meet their needs and provide support. 

Find out more about Well Street Common.

Camden Shorinji Kempo - Martial Arts Club 

The Camden Kempo project provides inclusive martial arts classes run by women and LGBTQIA+ people for the whole community. It will address social isolation, promote belonging and community and tackle London's cost of living crisis by being affordable. 

Find out more about Camden Shorinji Kempo.

Sunahs Crisis Team 

This project will support members of the BAME community in Brent who are in need of a hot meal and social activities which will promote feelings of inclusion and tackle social isolation. Weekly activities will take place in Lewinson Center in Willesden Green. 

Find out more about Sunahs Crisis Team.

The Streetz Football 

‘Streetz Football’ is a community-led project that will deliver 100 football sessions to 150 young people aged 8-15 years old living in Brixton and Camberwell. They will leverage the positive impact of football on physical and mental wellbeing to raise youth-levels of physical activities that were impacted by COVID19.  

Find out more about The Streetz Football.

Queer Diary CIC 

Queer Diary will deliver three activities (two diary-reading open-mic nights, one zine-making workshop) for 100+ attendees and 20+ participants, creating space for London’s LGBTQ+ community to connect, bond, and creatively express themselves in a sociable safe space.  

Achieved Dreams 

Cocoa Chats is a safe space for 30 BAME fathers and sons, going through crisis, compounded by poverty and strained relationships to join each morning for nutritious breakfast together, in Hackney.  

Waltham Forest Neurodiversity Social Club 

Parent-led monthly social club for (up to 20) young people aged 10-17 living in Waltham Forest who identify as neurodiverse; to improve well-being, reduce loneliness and provide peer support through playing simple board games. 

Brighter Together 

Working with four intergenerational groups in Richmond-upon-Thames and Wandsworth to develop and perform an immersive, intergenerational play. The project will work with over 25 older adults and 25 early years children to increase the social and emotional wellbeing of all participants; reduce social isolation and boost children’s development.   

Find out more about Brighter Together.

The Positive Movement Project CIC 

Move to Connect will support those at risk of social isolation from low-income households by the provision of free fitness sessions centred around improving mental wellbeing and fostering community connections in Feltham & Bedfont, (wards in the Hounslow borough) to combat social isolation and reduce loneliness thus improving mental health in the community. 

Fiind out more about The Positive Movement Project.

VISOR (Visually Impaired Society of Richmond) 

To heighten awareness of a mostly neglected group of people, by redesigning a brochure and distributing in the community. With knowledge that over 6,000+ people are vision impaired in the borough, the project will help vision impaired people to move forward following the pandemic and assist them with current cost of living crisis by offering more regular events. 

Find out more about VISOR – Visually Impaired Society of Richmond.

upCYCLE LDN 

This project will support 18 young people from ethnic minority groups living in Lambeth/Southwark by providing refurbished bikes and bike maintenance classes in a fun and inclusive environment, building a community of like-minded people.  

Find out more about upCYCLE.

VSSL studio CIC 

This project will offer 20 LGBTQ+ Londoners who are grieving or experiencing bereavement through monthly creative support sessions. Using artistic and creative methodologies they will hold space to think and feel through death and dying, supporting participant mental health and building community. 

Find out more about VSSL studio.

Five Aside Theatre 

This project will run 20 creative writing workshops with 6 African Caribbean organisations, developing their lived experiences into performance narratives. The narratives will be performed at three local community events in Merton for the wider community, then in October will form part of a heritage performance at New Wimbledon Theatre, bringing the wisdom of the  Windrush generation to the World! 

Find out more about Five ASide Theatre CIC.

London BPD Carers 

This project will provide a safe haven for 40 Londoners caring for people with a diagnosis of Personality Disorder or Complex Emotional Needs through holding monthly peer support meetings and offering training to reduce feelings of desperation and isolation and build coping skills. 

Find out more about London BPD Carers Group.

Humourisk CIC 

The Shed Life Steering Group are collaborating with local businesses to build a co-designed shed. This project will support the resident steering group to manage the community-led workshops programme in the shed once built; through a series of bespoke designed workshops that they lead for each other. 

Find out more about Humourisk. 

Active Living Support CIC 

Free sports, dance and cooking/independent workshops for young people with special needs and autism living in Brixton. The session will also provide respite. 

Find out more about Active Living Support.

For the People From the People CIC 

This project brings together a group of 10-15 diverse women in a supportive, safe and inclusive space to explore their creativity and enhance their wellbeing through 4-hour art and up-cycling day retreats and drop in sewing classes that focus on self-expression and community.  

Find out more about For The People From The People CiC.

ADHD BABES CIC 

This project will host a series of community led workshops, events and socials across 16 weeks; each workshop will provide practical tools to manage difficulties associated with ADHD. The socials and events will provide a safe space for this community to connect, learn new skills and explore personal interests in a way that would be inaccessible due to financial costs. 

Find out more about ADHD Babes.

Diversity Living Services 

This project will provide targeted and personalised digital skills training, advice and information provision to BAME people of Enfield, with the aim to improve their access to various online services and opportunities that they are currently not accessing due to lack of information, digital skills and equipment. 

Find out more about Diversity Living Services.

Heritage Charity London 

Heritage Charity London’s Walking school bus will bring the local community together in the morning or afternoon on a joyful walk to school. Together with parents, carers, volunteers, and HCL staff, the walking school bus allows students to arrive on time to school, be energised, and ready to learn. 

Find out more abou tHeritage Charity.

Yad simcha 

This project will support and unite 160 disadvantaged people from low-income families in the Jewish community in Hackney, by sending weekly healthy food packages to them and arranging 4 fun days out during the summer holidays. 

Survivors Can Shine C.I.C 

A free event bringing together the local community and community leaders to celebrate all families and the importance of working together to keep children safe from abuse. 150+ young people will perform creative pieces, amplifying their voices and their right to be heard, supported by performances from famous and young up-and-coming artists, and receiving awards for being Ambassadors for Change. 

Find out more about Survivors Can Shine C.I.C.

Strength With In Me Foundation 

To train 12 peer supporters to engage a broader community, upskill young people and build our capacity as an organisation. 

Find out more about Strength With In Me.

Gold and Silver Enterprises CIC - Sewn Together

The project will support 150 women from BAME backgrounds known to be highly impacted by Covid-19 and the cost-of-living-crisis in the east of the borough of Haringey. Facing physical and mental challenges, being digitally excluded to access local health services, they will receive advice and services that promote and support a healthy lifestyle.  

Find out more about Gold and Silver Interprises CIC.

Rafiki Wema CIC

This project will train and retain 12 community journalists in media literacy and digital inclusion through weekly training sessions. It will see community conversations and production in over 200 multimedia contents in London to amplify BAME community voices and enhance their media literacy and engagement to address issues that impact their lives. 

Find out more about Rafiki Wema.

Sisters of Frida 

This project will support 5-10 Disabled women to come together and create an inclusive & accessible space that will support sharing of lived experience to push for communities, policies and structures that include and empower Disabled women.  

Find out more about Sisters of Frida.

Lambeth Asian Centre (LAC)

Enable older Asian people to have Aging-friendly community-based activities with aims primarily targeting those who are socially excluded, lonely and living separate lives in the neighbourhoods or communities, helping them promote their psychosocial well-being and integration.  

The Women's Decision Group CIC  

This project supports women and children of the BAME community who are experiencing Domestic Violence, through the provision of a weekly workshop to enhance skills, alongside working with other professionals in the borough. 

Alanouwaly Salifou Sylla Foundation  

Salifest will support four local community groups and other individuals, to rehearse and perform at a community music festival with around 200 participants from Lewisham diverse communities to watch performances and participate in music and dance workshops. It will connect people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to socialise and learn from each other.   

Find out more about Alanouwaly Salifou Sylla Foundation.

Caldwell Gardens Community Gardening  

This project will reboot a gardening group by improving and enlarging the food growing area in raised beds and will involve more people from the community. The children's garden is an important new feature, giving them agency over a small area.  The design makes full use of the existing seating, creating pockets of spaces for communal activities and gatherings, surrounded by greenery.   

Daylight Studio  

Daylight Studio and PMEP are partnering to pilot a music production workshop at Premises Studios with the aim of assisting young people with their own music production challenges. Daylight Studio Artists can create in a professional recording studio and integrate neurodivergent disabled people with young people to tackle any preconceptions young people have towards disabled people.  

Find out more about Daylight Studio.