Community Resilience Fund Grants Awarded

TRANCHE 3

March 2024

ROUTE 1 - CORE COSTS (up to £3,000)

Includes basic operational costs such as increase in energy bills and rent. Grants have been made to ensure the organisations can continue to operate and survive in the cost of living crisis. 

ROUTE 2 -  SMALL PROJECTS (up to £5,000)

The fund contributes to the cost for children with mental and physical disabilities living in Kingston upon Thames to access individual horse riding lessons for an hour after school three times a week.

The funding will deliver outreach activities for young people ensuring equitable access to the arts through the Community in Residence Programme. This includes workshops at the Cambridge Road Estate culminating in a collaborative mural to ensure young people see their voices and creative expression represented on the estate, workshops for young people and their families as part of FUSE International in Kingston Town Centre, and an exhibition at FUSEBOX to end the programme celebrating street art and young people's achievements throughout the year supplemented with free talks and workshops for young people to develop new skills, build confidence and find out more about the creative industries.

The funding enables 80 young people from Anstee Bridge to conceive, design and deliver a “Be Kind” capsule of art which promotes the benefits of kindness on mental health and well-being. Designed by participating in workshops, such as distributing random acts of kindness and making work in response to the outcomes of their experiences. The capsule will become a touring exhibition to one primary school in each of the areas of Kingston borough, where children can work with the young people, supported by the project artists, to discuss the importance of mental health.

The funding enables the delivery of the ‘Building Empowerment and Support Together’ Hong Konger's Project dedicated to establishing a supportive Hongkonger community for new immigrants, fostering health and well-being, active learning, volunteering, and mutual support. Cantonese-speaking volunteers with backgrounds in social work, counselling, and healthcare are able to identify and assist lonely and isolated individuals to participate in weekly meet-ups including Cantonese gatherings, exercise classes, skills workshops, health talks, advice sessions, English conversation groups and day trips, to reduce isolation and loneliness. The project will run for 20 weeks, benefiting at least 60 individuals or 30 families.

The funding enables 1:1 bereavement counselling to be provided to over 75 residents on benefits, referred for support, to access the service with no assessment cost. The subsequent ten sessions of counselling are free of charge to all clients, remaining accessible to all.

The funding enables continued delivery of the Man Shed facility which encourages men to talk and meet new people locally in a friendly and non pressured atmosphere, reducing the possibility of social isolation and enhancing their local social circles. It encourages men to not only talk about their lives, but encourages positive emotional wellbeing and increasing their resilience, maintaining independence, and reducing the likelihood of entering other health and social care services later on. The men attending can also do woodwork and other work with their hands, producing for example bird boxes shared with the local community.

The funding enables the Tudor Library Friends to continue to host a Tea afternoon on the first Friday of every month throughout 2024, welcoming the community to the library for company and activities along with a cup of tea or coffee, developing to provide visiting speakers and crafters to introduce new skills and crafts to those attending. 

The funding enables the delivery of 15 Community Sunday Lunches, during term breaks, for local people to cook together and share diverse cultural meals, resulting in over 200 beneficiaries using locally grown crops from community gardens and allotments. There are community gardens on site for participants to understand how food is grown, with the opportunity to harvest some fresh vegetables and herbs for the events.

The funding enables the Family Play project to deliver a second weekend play session for children with learning disabilities and their families. The 3 hour sessions, running for 32 weeks, provide access to a safe indoor and outdoor environment with activities in the music room, sensory room, soft play room to the Forest woodland with slides, tree houses and mud kitchens. The project has a positive impact on their independence, helps them to gain more skills from a cause and effect approach to play and increases their communication and self esteem.

ROUTE 3 - LARGER PROJECTS (up to £20,000)

The funding enables refugees who are currently housed in various ‘hotel spaces’ within the borough to access cooking facilities where these are limited. Delivered in partnership with Welcare and Achieving for Children, the families are able to get support to prepare a meal, as well as have play activities for children and information, advice and guidance for the families attending. The service is available for four hours every week where 4 families/individuals can use the space per hour able to benefit from the resources available. 

The funding establishes a multi-purpose, community hub in Kingston Town Centre, supporting those with mental health issues. It will ensure the facilities are accessible, well signposted and equipped with the wellbeing resources to provide a safe, inviting space that has a therapeutic impact. The facility will develop with flexibility that enables diverse community engagement including for events, private counselling rooms, activity groups and organisational meetings.

The funding enables the fourth Square 1 Cafe to open for 46 weeks in conjunction with Wheels For All, who provide a safe cycling opportunity for disabled people and people with learning disabilities unable to cycle on roads, at the Weir Archer Stadium within the Kingsmeadow site. The Cafe is able to serve free refreshments and food to all those that attend, with a focused period for participants from Wheels For All, their carers and supporting volunteers, opening to incorporate the extended community for lunch and in the afternoon, accessible to over 60 residents per week.

The funding enables Oxygen to provide trained staff and facilities able to support young people with additional complex needs, particularly those with autism or other neurodiversity conditions, thus adapting working practices and environment to cater for social communication needs and strengths; implementing strategies which support young people to understand and manage behavioural, emotional regulation and sensory needs. Providing mentoring and volunteering opportunities for the young people to enable them to overcome challenges and contribute their specific skills to the community, adopting case work to cater for specific personal and learning needs, utilising the Oxygen Shop as a route for neurodivergent young people and adults to access Oxygen support, and delivering transition stages for autistic young adults aged 18+ to support them in independence, thriving in their community and engaging with the world of work or education in accordance with their goals and aspirations.

The funding enables families in emergency accommodation, where no cooking facilities are available, access Community Cooking Sessions once a week to make their own meals. The weekly 3 hours sessions provide ingredients and childrens activities to support families to make 2-3 bulk meals. Available to 6 families each week, (re-occurring and new families), is able to deliver 75 meals per week during the 39 weeks of the academic year.

TRANCHE 2

December 2023

ROUTE 1 - CORE COSTS (up to £3,000)

Includes basic operational costs such as increase in energy bills and rent. Grants have been made to ensure the organisations can continue to operate and survive in the cost of living crisis. 

ROUTE 2 -  SMALL PROJECTS (up to £5,000)

Enables Kingston Bereavement Service to support and maintain core services providing ten free bereavement counselling sessions regardless of income.

A befriending service for the Cambridge Road Estate and a twice monthly drop in sessions at the Queen Mary Hall for residents who are socially isolated. Also wellbeing sessions / nature walks / coffee & cake mornings and career support such as help to write a CV, apply for a role, and answer interview questions.

A day centre service for members and increase the ability to offer exercises/activities to improve physical and mental health, including hot meals and outings. Supporting multicultural needs with translations into a variety of languages and providing audio/video for people who can't read/write. 

Deliver ‘Creative Magic Minds’ for young people to take positive, preventative measures against poor mental health and well-being through activities, including art, magic, sculpting, sewing, circus performing, candle making, yoga, cartooning and song writing.

For Kingston residents who are recovering from addictions, to provide the Thursday get together session, refreshments, a warm space and Christmas meal. Achieve accreditation and certifications for 4 volunteers to deliver specialist NADA ear acupuncture therapy and Level 2 Food Safety Hygiene Certificate to 3 members on the Community Cooking programme.

RBKares monthly Cambridge Road Estate Wellbeing Days for a range of people from rough sleepers, those on low income, substance abusers and refugees. Wellbeing Days provide, help with self care and confidence; fruit and treats, bike locks with refurbished bikes to clients for independent transport, keeping fit and mental health.

Funding for the community cafe to continue delivering cultural exercise and arts to the elderly of their community; expand cookery and baking classes for mothers with young children; and continue teaching music and singing, joining with other groups locally. 

Enable the Growbaby service to expand support and supplies of new and used clothes and equipment for children ages 0-5 free of charge to anyone in need regardless of income, faith or background to two new sites at Tolworth Recreation Centre and The Pantry, integrating with other family support services at these centres.

KAB to deliver specialist support services alongside its Living Well with Sight Loss workshops. Social and Leisure activities from Social lunches, to swimming, cycling and indoor bowls, also Digital Inclusion training for volunteers to help the housebound. Also children and families sport activities and information and employment, education and technology support for working age residents.

To extend the BRITE Box service to an additional 17 new families for 30 weeks across the school year.  BRITE Box is a weekly recipe meal kit with all ingredients to enable a family to have a no cost opportunity to prepare and eat a balanced meal together.  

Nanoom will be providing weekly arts and crafts classes, English language classes and Community meals targeting women from a Korean background. 

Kingston Hive will deliver three areas of activity to enable the community to engage in environmental action in the borough. Strengthen Educational Outreach and developing promotional materials and advertising campaigns, to showcase the community achievements.

Fortnightly youth sessions, exercise sessions, workshop days and parent-toddler group open to all residents of Kingston, particularly residents and refugees facing money issues preventing them engaging in other programmes.

Expanding the Surbiton Community Forge using the funding to Increase the number and type of fire extinguishers available. Providing volunteers with first aid training and blacksmith training. Purchasing additional Personal Protective Equipment. 

Working with disadvantaged North Korean migrants in New Malden to deliver music lessons for young children aged 10, and table tennis classes targeting men of age 50+. Also delivering a 12 weeks of Korean language advice and support from a community Health Champion and support officer to share information and advice supporting cost of living concerns, healthy living and wellbeing.

Organisation and delivery of a programme of activities from their Be Well Hub. Including the addition of a complementary Walk and Talk session in open places like Richmond Park to the monthly Bereavement Cafe. Opening the Wesley's Coffee Bar as a Warm Space for four hours a day, Monday to Friday, providing arts and crafts for families in the school holidays. And an English language conversation group.

During the Holocaust Memorial Day 750 volunteers will deliver 2 workshops for 1,400 secondary school children to promote racial & religious harmony in Kingston. 

Giving residents help with good maintenance and security of their bikes. Targeting vulnerable groups, homeless, NHS workers and carers through the monthly RBKares wellbeing event to provide strong locks, light sets, coloured hi-vis waistcoats, and essential maintenance tools e.g. pumps and puncture repair kits.Also printed publicity materials, including a Kingston-focused ‘How to get started’ leaflet and training session for volunteers to increase capacity to offer bike safety checks.

ROUTE 3 - LARGER PROJECTS (up to £20,000)

A programme of activities, courses and information events to improve mental health and wellbeing. mental health and wellbeing information events, for example on anxiety and menopause, and reinstate their healthy eating on a budget workshop.

Kingston Bereavement Service will deliver 3 six week art therapy courses for parents and carers who are supporting a bereaved child or children. The specific space provides the carers the opportunity to explore their challenges and to be supported through the medium of art therapy.  

Kingston Community Furniture provides quality furniture to be re-sold, restored and re-used. The funding ensures the staff, vehicles and digital systems are in place to support vulnerable residents referred by GP social prescribing and Kingston Hospital discharge process to allow individuals to leave hospital as soon as possible, source specific furniture and clear houses ready to accommodate their changed needs.

Kingston WelCare working in partnership with All Saints Church will provide four pre-school family play sessions per week, two of which will be after-school family sessions. These sessions plus school holiday activities will support up to 120 families per week over the year.

Supporting unpaid carers and providing one-to-one remote telephone support and internet group sessions increasing the opportunity for those that cannot leave who they care for. Provide information and refer carers to opportunities to participate in activities away from the home introducing a buddy system where they can attend new activities with other carers.

Deliver the Man&Boy Positive Families Programme for 15 families from across Kingston with an active camping experience, intensive enrichment courses and positive mentoring. Programme of eight positive family mediation mentoring sessions and referrals newsletter to address family challenges enable them to access long term support.

Develop and grow the Kingston Black Network, further developing spoken word sessions and use football to reach into black communities. 

Home-Start helps families with children aged from 0-5 get the appropriate guidance and connections to enable the parents to support their families. The funding expands the Rapid Response Service to have two offers able to support 100 families during the year, responding within two weeks. 

Expanding to offer two new facilities within a new cabin on site. One space will provide a youth area for socialising with moped/bike repair training for maintenance to ensure road safety. The second area for a swapshop creating a space to display the items donated of clothes, books, toys, and crockery, plus an area to deliver immediate need to access donations of food from fairshare and hygiene products from the hygiene bank.

Kingston Muslim Youth will be using their New Youth Hub facility to host three areas of activity including establishing a Women’s Fitness Club, a Boxing Club and a Community PlayGroup Café where people can meet, search for jobs, and access a befriending service, with referrals and signposting to other support services.

*As per the funding prospectus organisations or community groups will be awarded up to £20,000 to develop a new approach (exceptional applications over £20k may be considered).

TRANCHE 1 addendum

One application submitted in Tranche 1 of the Community Resilience Fund was approved but the award was finalised after the publication of Tranche 1 funding on 23 August 2023. 

ROUTE 3 - LARGER PROJECTS (up to £20,000)

The SunrayRecycle project will increase the support to collect and recycle items not currently collected for recycling directly from residents homes, and promote where other waste can be recycled. Having increased collection and sorting facilities provides more opportunities for the community to volunteer and engage in a social setting.

TRANCHE 1

September 2023

ROUTE 1 - CORE COSTS (up to £3,000)

Includes basic operational costs such as increase in energy bills and rent. Grants have been made to ensure the organisations can continue to operate and survive in the cost of living crisis. 

ROUTE 2 -  SMALL PROJECTS (up to £5,000)

12-week free group activity dance and yoga programme with additional advice on money, schools, council services, health and food banks.

Providing 10 under-represented young people with access to theatre and build transferable skills through a 6-month residency.

Securing space for face to face counselling and expanding the accessibility to support for people experiencing loss. 

Making cycling accessible to more residents by providing bikes, organised group rides and maintenance sessions.

Families Together project, supporting families recently moved from Hong Kong.

To provide a free autumn 2023 programme of 14 wellbeing events for up to 230 unpaid carers.

Weekly arts, craft and end of term community meals for Korean immigrant women through to April 2024

Extend the Money Buddy project to local community and health venues, providing 1 to 1 support for vulnerable groups with learning difficulties, mental and drug/alcohol dependency issues. 

Support private rental tenants in the borough with legal advice and support regarding their rights and help them resolve issues.

Supporting the development of the ‘Repair Cafe’.

Work with Youth Out Loud! to develop a podcast by young people for young people about the disproportionate barriers disabled young people face when accessing health and care.

To establish two new allotments to grow suitable year round produce to supply local community pantries serviced entirely by local people/volunteers.

Deliver the 2 public annual evening events showcasing the cultural arts of the Tamil community.

Maintain the Learning Hub of 13 classes a week, for 84 clients in venues in Kingston, offering access to sewing, cycling, table tennis and sharing food together.

Develop two podcasts to increase understanding of the experiences of different groups, addressing misconceptions and signposting to support.

ROUTE 3 - LARGER PROJECTS (up to £20,000)

Refurbishment of the Kitchen at the Horticultural Service and Stud Nursery, that supports adults with learning difficulties. The space develops skills and is a social enterprise to sell products grown and produced in the kitchen. 

Enable the Surbiton Community Fridge to collect more food that is destined for landfill from supermarkets and expand its offer and distribution to many more families with an electric refrigerated van.

Establish ‘The Larch’, a weekly social club for referred adults with autism. 

Expand the Kingston Women’s Hub supporting victims of domestic violence.

Completion and staffing of kitchen facilities that has provided 35,000 community meals in the last 2 years. Providing refugees in hotels and temporary accommodations with the facility to prepare and cook their own food. 

Recruit and train 5 new mentors to provide tailored mentoring for 20-30 young people aged 11-18 with complex mental health needs.  

Develop and grow the Kingston Black Network, further developing spoken word sessions and use football to reach into black communities. 

Local Community Mental Health telephone line to deal with complex issues linking mental health with financial issues. Recruiting a new coordinator and training volunteers to respond to residents calling as well as community outreach. 

The team at FUSEBOX will provide training to help a local cultural group deliver six new creative activities in the Borough and target communities underserved by local cultural services.

Establish the CLICK Cafe for 10 months, 2-6pm on weekdays and providing further opening on 2 evenings, with focus upon disabled people; enabling access to vulnerable & lonely people.

Providing training in schools on gender equality / harassment.

*As per the funding prospectus organisations or community groups will be awarded up to £20,000 to develop a new approach (exceptional applications over £20k may be considered).