17th March 2023
Brentwood Community Fund 2022/23
As part of our social value commitment with Brentwood Borough Council, we donate £20,000 each year towards the Brentwood Community Fund.
The community fund provides grants of up to £5,000 for not-for-profit organisations and individuals who bid for funding to tackle important issues and improve the quality of life for local people.
Each year our Community Investment Team assists representatives from the Brentwood Borough Council to score the applications. We are delighted to have supported a total of 30 causes! Please read on to learn more about some of the beneficiaries:
Age Well East:
Age Well East advise and provide practical information and connect communities to tackle loneliness and encourage mental and physical wellness.
We funded £2,400 towards the establishment of a Befriending Group in the Brentwood area. The group meet every Thursday at Toby Carvery in Brentwood, with between 6-8 people attending on a regular basis. There have been some discussions between the group about what kind of activities they would like to do in the future including games, bingo, and arts and crafts.
Elizabeth, Amanda and Lauren met at the Befriending Group when it was first established and are now really good friends. They also meet outside of the group, Elizabeth commented, “Being friends with Amanda and Laura has made such a difference to me. It was Amanda’s idea that we 3 have our own WhatsApp Group. Being part of the group has had a huge impact on my mental health. I am so grateful that I have Thursday mornings to look forward to, long may they continue”.
Frontline Partnership:
This charity offers community-based experiences to people with a learning disability and high support needs who are at risk of being excluded from many of the simple pleasures and experiences of everyday life.
We funded £5,000 to support the Great Danes Inclusive Adult Football Team. The funding enabled the appointment of a team coordinator for 1 year who is supporting at training, organising volunteers, and liaising with Soccability to enable the team to participate in league and cup matches. This is a great way for participants to improve their physical and mental health with other people from the local community.
“The number of participants in our weekly football sessions has grown significantly and our team’s participation in monthly events has been fantastic in offering everyone an opportunity to play football competitively. The personal development each of our participants is making is extremely noticeable, indeed many of the characteristics that playing a team sport nurtures, are highly transferable to broader life. We look forward to having more success in these respects and continuing to grow together as our relationships strengthen” – Frontline Team Member
Rewilding Project at St Edmund’s and St Mary’s Church, Ingatestone:
We funded £3,500 to re-wild the closed churchyard, working with girls and those living with dementia to enable conversations around the community and contribute to the church’s commitment to reach net carbon zero by 2030.
Volunteers of all ages came together to plant flowers and plants to help bring the church garden back to life again. It was a great opportunity to bring the local community together whilst helping to improve the biodiversity of the church’s grounds. Skills developed will enable other sites in the parish to be similarly developed.
We love to hear about the impact we have had within the local community and look forward to hearing from the other beneficiaries!
