East of England Co-op’s Community Cares Fund awards over £100,000 to 30 organisations across the region
Pictured: Re-engage, who received funding towards telephone befriending and tea parties for older people living in Suffolk
The East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is administered by Suffolk Community Foundation working with Essex and Norfolk Community Foundations, and aims to support the work of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSE) that are creating or adapting services or activities that will have a positive impact in the communities where the East of England Co-operative trades in Norfolk, Suffolk and North East Essex.
Over £100,000 was awarded to 30 charities across the region. In Suffolk, £58,666 was distributed to 19 Suffolk charities and community groups.
Those awarded grants in Suffolk include...
Access Community Trust
To produce 6 videos and 6 livestream sessions to inform, support and educate disadvantaged local people identified through the Pink Orange food poverty project
BSEVC
Towards their later life community service
Christian Youth Ministries
Supporting school chaplaincy and pastoral support for students and teaching staff at Chantry Academy in Ipswich
Family First
To enable them to continue to support vulnerable families in Ipswich
Footsteps Walking With You
Towards their counselling provision for young people
Hive
Towards the purchase of a building to become a community hub in Sudbury
Ipswich BMX Club
For a disability ramp for their new clubhouse
Leiston United Church
Towards a disability ramp for their community hall
MN Well-Child Support CIC
Towards the Summer Support Project for those young people in Lowestoft living with poor mental health or wellbeing
REACH Community Projects
Towards expanding their foodbank provision across rural West Suffolk and North Essex
Re-engage
Towards telephone befriending and tea parties for older people living in Suffolk
Riding for the Disabled (Woodbridge & District Group)
To support additional activities within the riding school, enabling those with a disability to take part
Suffolk Artlink
Supporting Suffolk Artlink Online Engagement: Virtual Venue Development
Suffolk Family Carers
To run 3 Feeling Stronger to Care and Connect Programmes and 3 trauma workshops for family carers
Suffolk Young People’s Health Project
To support drama workshops addressing young people’s views
The East of England Faiths Agency CIC
Towards the production of a game to be used in care homes in Suffolk to improve mental wellbeing
The Mix Stowmarket
To support the Greenlights mentoring project
The Seagull Lowestoft CIC
Supporting the Girls’ Confidence and Wellbeing Group at The Seagull Theatre
Woodbridge Tide Mill Charitable Trust
Towards improvements for special educational needs and disabilities families to be welcoming, accessible and inclusive
The generous grant we have received from East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund allows us to tackle loneliness and isolation amongst people over 75 living in Suffolk. Through our monthly tea parties and call companion befriending service, older people who may have felt very alone, feel valued as individuals, continue to form friendships, and have groups that give support. A heartfelt thank you to the East of England Co-op and Suffolk Community Foundation for enabling us to continue our essential work.
It’s great for us to be working with the East of England Co-op on this grants programme for the next two years. Applications for this fund were so oversubscribed that funds were brought forward to fund the organisations sooner. This means we’ve not only managed to fund even more fantastic organisations, but that those organisations will not have to go through the process of applying again for the next round. Those that weren’t successful for this have also been moved/signposted to other potential funds.
Access Community Trust have received funding towards the production of 6 videos and 6 livestream sessions to inform, support and educate disadvantaged local people identified through their Pink Orange Project
Riding for the Disabled’s grant from the fund will support additional activities within the riding school, enabling those with a disability to take part
The next round of funding from the East of England Co-op Community Cares Fund is due to open in Autumn 2021. In the meantime, all updates, including stories and news from current grant recipients can be found at: eastofengland.coop/community
