- Eight groups based in Elephant and Castle are getting a share of £75,000 in grant funding for projects benefitting local people of all ages
- The Elephant & Castle community fund is in its twelfth year, donating nearly £600k to the community to date
- It was set up by Southwark Council and Lendlease, with Get Living joining in 2022
Classes on climate change for children, exercise sessions for older people, and accessible play groups for mothers are among the projects in Elephant and Castle that will benefit from £75,000 of grant funding.
Applicants to the Elephant & Castle community fund could apply for grants ranging from £3,000 to £12,000 for community projects that would benefit people who live, work or study in the Elephant & Castle Opportunity Area. To qualify they were asked to show how their project addressed a local need and themes that included: further education, skills, training & entrepreneurship, arts and culture, environment, young people and wellbeing.
Eight local groups have been awarded grants and will split the £75,000 between them. They are:
Lamlash Street Allotment Society: Lamlash Street Allotment Society coordinate and run the community garden and allotments on Lamlash Street within the opportunity area, providing a space for local residents to grow their own produce in an area of growing pressures on land-use and few private gardens. They will use the grant towards the costs of renovating and improving access to the allotments.
Parent Action Southwark: Parent Action Southwark run a weekly calendar of activities where families within the Elephant & Castle area can spend time together and access support in a safe environment. This includes a play scheme, booking sharing, gardening, antenatal and post-natal courses and a baby bank. They will use the grant towards accessible play groups for mothers focused particularly on people from Spanish speaking backgrounds.
Sculpt: Sculpt provide employment support, leadership training and empowerment for disadvantaged young Londoners aged 14-25 through holistic and personalised support programmes that build skills, confidence and knowledge while breaking down stereotypes of what is possible and what can be achieved. They will use this grant towards a pilot of an employment support programme working with 20 young people with special educational needs aged 14-16 in the opportunity area.
Climate Ed: Climate Ed teach children in primary schools across South London about climate change and empower them to act. They will use the funding to teach children in year’s Year 5 and 6 about climate change and practical steps to get their voices heard across seven schools in the Elephant & Castle area.
Inspire Walworth: Inspire Walworth run a youth club within the opportunity area that provides a range of activities and opportunities for young people aged 11-18 years including traditional youth club sessions, creative art sessions and sports activities all aimed at reducing crime and anti-social behaviour by increasing aspiration, ambition, self-confidence and life skills. They will use the grant funding towards a part time youth worker’s salary to support 300 young people within the Walworth area.
Mental Fight Club: Mental Fight Club aims to provide creative, wellbeing activities for people experiencing mental health challenges and operate from 2 locations across London including one within Elephant & Castle. They will use the grant towards the costs of running a range of creative workshops for 550 vulnerable people in the opportunity area.
Flashy Wings Ministry: Flashy Wings Ministry supports women from all walks of life in Southwark by providing information, skills training, networking and group therapy sessions. They will use the grant towards digital media content creation workshops for up to 45 BAME women in the Elephant & Castle area.
Silverfit: Silverfit aims to support healthier, happier ageing through the provision of socially based exercise classes for older people within local communities across London. They will use the grant towards a series of physical activity sessions for 60 older people within the opportunity area.
Eddie Brocklesby, CEO and founder of Silverfit, said: “Silverfit is so grateful to the Elephant and Castle community fund for their generous support of Silverfit Nordic walking sessions in Burgess Park. Our members know how important it is for our ageing population to be active, and being sociable and having fun, thus reducing the costs to our NHS, and social care of our ageing population.”
The Elephant & Castle Community Fund was set up in 2012 by Southwark Council and Lendlease, an international property and investments group, to support the local community. They are working in partnership on the delivery of Elephant Park, a £2.3bn regeneration project in the heart of Elephant & Castle. Get Living, the property management group behind the Elephant Central development, joined the partnership in 2022 and the total fund available increased from £50,000 to £75,000.
The fund is managed on their behalf by The London Community Foundation and has donated over £590k to the community over the last twelve years.
Cllr Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for equalities, democracy and finance, said: “The community spirit in Elephant and Castle is one of the many reasons it’s such a great place to live, work and visit, thanks to the diverse groups and organisations working in the local area. I’m delighted that this money will continue supporting their vital work for the twelfth year running, benefitting people of all ages and backgrounds.”
Angela Brennan, Lendlease’s project director for Elephant Park, said: “We’re committed to creating a thriving, inclusive and sustainable community at Elephant Park, and are pleased to support community projects which directly benefit those who live, work and study in the area. There are some brilliant initiatives this year which we’ll be supporting, in addition to the broad range of projects which have already benefited from funding through the scheme.”
Ailish Christian-West, executive director of development and ESG at Get Living, said: “We’re thrilled that local projects across Elephant and Castle will benefit from the £75,000 in grant funding. This funding is a testament to the incredible work being done by the local community, and Get Living is proud to play a role in supporting such a dynamic range of groups and individuals. We hope this funding, along with initiatives like the Elephant & Castle Community and Engagement Hub opening this September, will help to strengthen the local community and provide meaningful support to residents.”