Kingston Council has awarded 35 grants totalling £275,928 to local organisations in phase 2 of its Community Resilience Fund.

Grants ranging from £180 to £24,000 will fund core costs for small and larger community projects across the borough.

Andreas Kirsch, Kingston Council leader, said: "We are announcing support for 35 fantastic new projects that will make a real difference for residents across the borough at a time when many, many people are being impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and under pressure from money worries.

"We awarded 37 grants in September, and these are already delivering significant benefits for our communities. For example, Save The World Club will launch a new Community Kitchen next week - funded by phase 1 in September and The Community Fridge in Surbiton has been collecting surplus food from supermarkets for distribution to residents with their new refrigerated van, also funded in September. We know that our grants can very quickly deliver tangible benefits for residents and cohesion and resilience for our communities."

All grants are focused on projects supporting residents and communities in Kingston borough. They include a larger award for Kingston Community Furniture which provides quality furniture to be re-sold, restored and re-used to fund staff, vehicles and digital systems to support vulnerable residents referred by GP social prescribing and Kingston Hospital discharge.

Larger awards of up to £20,000 were also made to Kingston Carers Network (KCN) for support for unpaid carers, Dickerage Sports and Community Centre to provide new youth facilities and training for bike maintenance and a Kingston Muslim Youth Women's Fitness Club, Boxing Club and Play Group Cafe.

Smaller projects funded up to £5,000 include a befriending service for the Cambridge Road Estate with the Kingston Centre for Independent Living (KCIL), Friends of Anstee Bridge's creative support to improve the mental health of young people, and Growbaby Kingston's plans to expand its services to two additional sites providing free new and used clothes and equipment for children from 0 to 5 years.

The £720,000 fund was launched in April 2023 to provide additional funding for community, voluntary and cultural organisations to help them support residents through the costs of living crisis - and to survive the challenges themselves.

Grants awarded in phase 2

7 grants for Core Costs (up to £3,000)

18 grants for Small Projects (up to £5,000)

10 grants for Larger Projects (up to £20,000*)

Examples of projects funded in Phase 2:

Growbaby Kingston is awarded £5,000 to expand their services and support to provide free new and preloved clothes and equipment for infants from 0 to 5 years old. Funding will allow them to expand to two new locations.

Kingston Cycling Campaign receives £5,000 to provide bicycle maintenance, refurbished bikes, locks, hi-vis waistcoats and other supplies to support independent transport for vulnerable residents across the borough and at the RBKares Cambridge Road Estate monthly wellbeing events.

Staywell (Kingston Community Furniture) is awarded £22,000. The group provides furniture to be re-sold, restored and re-used. The service supports vulnerable residents referred by their GP and those leaving hospital, as well as sourcing specific furniture as needed.

Dickerage Sports and Community Centre AFC is awarded £20,000 to offer two new facilities for young people to socialise with repair and maintenance training for bikes and mopeds and the second a 'swapshop' area for donated clothes, toys, books, homewares and food and hygiene product donations.

To see all the grants awarded in phase 2 - go to the dedicated web page

Phase 3 launching 3 January 2024

Kingston will be opening the final phase 3 of the fund and inviting new applications on 3 January 2024.

The final phase of the council's one-year fund will open for applications on 3 January. It is the final opportunity for organisations to submit their applications for funding.

Kingston Council is hoping for the projects that come forward enable communities to work together to provide practical support for our residents, families, communities and those who are vulnerable or have special needs.

You can find out more about the Community resilience Fund on the council's web page.

Other funding available

There are also a number of other Community Grants available from the council - information is on our website at www.kingston.gov.uk/CommunityGrants

Good causes can also apply to join and raise funds via the Kingston Community Lottery - more information is on the Kingston Lottery website at www.kingstonlottery.co.uk