Community groups supported by Freebridge fund
Freebridge Community Housing have donated £5000 to seven community groups across West Norfolk through the Freebridge Community Fund.
Each year Freebridge invite charities and community groups to apply for up to £1000 for projects that have will have a positive impact on health and wellbeing, the environment, support residents or bring communities together.
As always the fund received a high number of deserving applications, with the final selection being made by a judging panel comprised of Freebridge tenants and employees.
Groups who received funding spent an enjoyable lunch at Providence Street Placeshaping Community Centre on Wednesday 6 September with their fellow recipients, the judging panel, Freebridge Chairman of the Board, Ray Johnson, and Freebridge Director of Housing, Robert Clarke.
Robert Clarke, Director of Housing at Freebridge, said: “The Freebridge Community Fund is a fantastic opportunity for us to donate much needed funds directly to richly deserving charities and community groups in our region. The number of applications we received only serves to highlight the fantastic work that is done by so many those groups.
“The Freebridge vision of supporting a better West Norfolk is something that continues to be an important aspect of the organisation, the Freebridge Community Fund and our other work with community groups out of Providence Street Placeshaping Community Centre are integral to fulfilling that vision.”
This year the recipients of funding were:
• Solace End of Life Support – £500 – To support operational costs and to train more volunteers to help with an increasing number of clients.
• West Norfolk Mind – £450 – To purchase a Tier 2 Spice Time Credits Membership in order to apply the Time Credits Model to aid volunteer recruitment and retention.
• West Norfolk Riding for the Disabled Association – £550 – To help provide riding lessons for 13 weeks on Wednesdays for children, young people and adults with physical and learning disabilities.
• South West Norfolk Youth Opportunities Project (SWAN) – £1000 – To deliver employability and training courses for young people who are in danger of exclusion from formal education and older young people who are in danger of becoming finding themselves not in education, employment, or training.
• West Norfolk Befriending – £1000 – To contribute towards volunteer expenses and office costs.
• The Purfleet Trust – £1000 – To run a winter night shelter on Friday and Saturday nights between October and March 2017/18.
• 4transform – £500 – To help fund activities of a new group, who are planning to run and publicise craft, art and upcycling sessions, for women experiencing domestic abuse.
Jackie Westrop, trustee of the SWAN project, said: “We are able to provide more help and support to young people because of grants like the one we have had from Freebridge.
“We will use it to encourage and support young people to build positive relationships, skills and contacts as they get ready for the world of work, without such grants our work in the community would be a great deal harder.”
Norfolk Community Foundation manages the fund on Freebridge’s behalf. Any community or voluntary group wishing to find out more about the Freebridge Community Fund can visit https://www.norfolkfoundation.com/Freebridge-Community-Housing-Fund or telephone 01603 623958 or email [email protected]