The Community Fund winners 2019 are...

The fund was launched in 2012 between Southwark Council and Elephant Park developer Lendlease, to provide financial support to new and existing organisations in Elephant and Castle during the time of the regeneration. Following its initial success – and with support from The London Community Foundation – the fund has continued to help dozens of businesses and charities in the area.

This latest round of funding brings the total number of organisations in the Elephant and Castle area to benefit from the initiative to an impressive 50, and more than £200,000 has been invested in a wide range of projects.

The six organisations, which were chosen from 35 applications, will all receive up to £10,000 from the fund. They are:

• Duckie – for The Posh Club, a social and entertainment club for older people.
• Walworth Golden Oldies Community Care project – for a project coordinator to oversee the running of services that support 80 isolated black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) older people, over 12 months.
• Hatch Enterprise – for a food enterprise training course for 20 local residents at 55 East.
• Walworth Community Gardening Network – for a coordinator, horticultural training for 120 people, and the Walworth Community Garden Show.
• Bankside Open Spaces Trust – for a series of gardening activities at Diversity Garden, King James Street, over a year.
• ABACEI – Afro-Brazilian Arts & Cultural Exchange Institute – for capoeira, dance and Brazilian beats sessions for young people aged four to 18, over nine months.

All the applicants to the Elephant & Castle Community Fund had to meet a range of criteria to be considered for an award. The work and offering of all the organisations vary greatly, but the focus of the project they wanted to fund had to demonstrate provision of a service that is of benefit to people who live, work or study in the Elephant and Castle Opportunity Area.

At the heart of the Elephant & Castle Community Fund is the aim to make a difference to the lives of people in this special part of London, supporting localised grassroots initiatives. The fund looks to support groups that are based in Elephant and Castle and are run by the people who know this area best and understand what is needed to maintain its vibrancy.

This year’s successful applicants join a line-up of special and varied organisations to have been supported by the fund, from those that offer fitness for the over 65s to charities running friendship-matching schemes. What they all have in common is the shared aim to bring a positive service to those who need it most in the Elephant and Castle community.

For more information about the fund and for full details of the application guidelines, visit https://londoncf.org.uk/grants/elephant-castle-community-fund

If you are interested in more stories about community investment in and around Elephant Park, check out:

• The Elephant & Castle Community Fund
• Community Investment
• Get down with the trumpets at Blue Elephant