Elephant & Castle community projects get total of £50,000 in funding

A weekly dance and drama programme for youngsters, and a Spanish language group for parents were amongst groups that will benefit from £50,000 of grants this week (31 August 2021).

Applicants to the Elephant & Castle community fund were able to apply for grants ranging from £500 to £10,000 for community projects 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.

Six local groups have been awarded grants and will split the £50,000 between them. They are:

Art in the Park: Art in the Park delivers a range of activities with a focus on being outdoors, engaging with local history creatively, socialising, getting mild exercise and improving mental health. They will use the grant to deliver a series of community workshops exploring the local area’s history and heritage.

Citizens UK:  Parents and Communities Together (PACT), a Citizens UK project, works to improve children’s early developmental outcomes and maternal wellbeing. Their grant will enable Espacio Mama, a Spanish language group created in response to a need from Spanish speaking parents in the Elephant and Castle area, to offer weekly group meetings for peer support, signposting and workshops.

COLAB Charitable Foundation: A theatre company focusing on immersive theatre based on the local historical culture and heritage. Their grant will enable them to deliver immersive theatre workshops twice a week for 12 weeks.

Pembroke House: A centre for community and social action in Walworth, delivering activities such as ESOL classes, lunch clubs and a community café. The grant funding will deliver a weekly dance and drama programme for 15 children aged 9-13 at Pembroke House.

Southwark Carers: A free service for all carers living in the borough. The group offers advice, emotional and wellbeing support, training, counselling, advocacy and access to peer activities. The grant will help transform a rooftop space at the Carer’s Centre into an inner-city allotment and nature area to deliver activities and development opportunities.

The Listening Place: The Listening Place provides free face-to-face support to people who feel suicidal, and the funding will enable the continuation of this hugely important service for the community.

A spokesperson for Pembroke House said: “It is with great appreciation that we receive this grant from the Elephant & Castle Community Fund. dt17, our dance-theatre programme for young people will be able to continue to provide free dance training for children in the local area.

In particular, we are very excited to be focusing attention on building and nurturing relationships with local schools, the long-term benefits of which will go far beyond this funding period.”

The Elephant & Castle community fund was set up in 2012 by Lendlease, an international property and investments group, and Southwark Council to support the local community.

They are working in partnership on the delivery of Elephant Park, a £2.5bn regeneration project in the heart of Elephant & Castle.

The fund is managed on their behalf by The London Community Foundation and has donated over £300,000 to the community over the last eight years.

Lendlease’s Project Director for Elephant Park, Kristy Lansdown, said: “We are 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 superb 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.”

Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development at Southwark Council, said: “Over the last eight years, a diverse range of groups and activities have received funding from this scheme which have delivered real benefits for thousands of local residents.

We look forward to seeing the contribution this year’s projects will make towards creating a vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood at Elephant and Castle that new and existing residents can enjoy.”