Greenwich Peninsula Community Fund
We are investing £1.9m into the Greenwich Peninsula Community Fund to support the delivery of community projects that will have a positive social, economic and environmental impact on the Peninsula. In it’s inaugural year, £100,000 were distributed to 7 fantastic projects were chosen by a panel comprised of Knight Dragon, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Greater London Authority, L&Q and local community representative.
Our panel comprised of:
• Councillor Adel Khaireh (Cabinet Member for Culture, Equality & Communities) - Royal Borough of Greenwich,
• Rupinder Pahar – Head of Equalities - Greater London Authority
• Revd Jane Petrie – Holy Trinity Church - Community Representative
• Shehla (Community Development Lead - L&Q)
• Steve Yewman (Chief of Staff) Knight Dragon and Ushna Mughal (Senior ESG & Community Impact Lead and Chair)
The community projects will tackle some of the most pertinent social issues including environmental protection, youth engagement, mental health of mothers, and supporting vulnerable communities such as refugees, LGBTQ+ and gypsies and travelers.
Ahoy Centre is a water sports-based charity changing lives and building life skills through sailing and rowing. The primary focus and objective at AHOY is to provide opportunities for disadvantaged and at-risk youths. Ahoy Centre are delivering the “Sailing For All” project, aimed at 10 - 16-year-olds from three local schools. All programmes and activities delivered are focused on teaching transferable and employability life skills that will prove to be life changing for our vulnerable participants including socially and economically disadvantaged children and young people (with many from a BAME background), children and young people with physical and learning disabilities and those not in full time education. In addition to this, young people will develop communication, problem-solving, self-confidence, leadership and teamwork skills.
Breadwinners’ mission is to tackle employment and poor wellbeing by providing young refugees and people seeking asylum with their first work experience in the UK and supporting them to progress in their careers. There is an estimated 70% unemployment rate of refugees in the UK and to tackle this issue at a local level Breadwinners will run their “Risers” programme at Greenwich Peninsula that is providing young refugees (aged 16-20) and those seeking asylum their first volunteering work experience selling bread at Greenwich Peninsula market stall, supporting them with one-on-one mentoring, receive training in transferable skills and forming part of a diverse community of traders, customers and mentors. The programme will include work experience sessions, 1on1 mentoring sessions, and training sessions on transferable skills including Food Hygiene Level 1 certification, sales, customer service, personal finance and CV and Interview skills.
London Gypsies and Travellers charity supports individuals and families, living on council caravan sites, roadside encampment, those living in bricks and mortar housing, and those experiencing homelessness. The grant would help provide consistent and effective support to Irish Traveller families in Greenwich Peninsula over the course of the one year project period, working in close partnership with the community to increase connectivity and access to services and amenities. A dedicated resource will support the community in accessing services and facilities that would improve health and wellbeing, and build relationships with stakeholders to explore solutions to some of the pollution and other adverse environmental factors they are facing.
Motivez CIC is a youth-led organisation that empowers underserved young people aged 14-25 to access entry-level Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) jobs through grassroots, employability and advocacy programmes. They will deliver the “Greener Greenwich'' project in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering to 120 ambitious young people aged 13-16 years. Participants will develop STEM-based solutions to mitigate local pollution issues. Through 15+ fun activities, industry and neighbourhood visits, fireside chats, bi-weekly workshops and mentoring led by relatable and inspirational young professionals, the young people will increase their awareness and skills of how they can solve these issues. Local businesses and residents will be engaged at a midpoint showcase to contribute ideas and advance the young people’s solutions. The programme will serve as a personal and professional development hub for the young people, developing the next generation of innovators at the Peninsula.
“"Developing a new place from scratch, at this scale, is a unique opportunity and one we do not take for granted. Our commitment to delivering a genuine and sustainable community at Greenwich Peninsula has seen us invest in many spaces, initiatives and projects over the last 10 years, and the launch of the Greenwich Peninsula Community Fund is an important milestone in the development of the place.” Richard Margree, CEO at Knight Dragon”
MumsAid addresses lack of mental health support for mothers during pregnancy and postpartum. They provide evidence-based support that makes a difference not just to mothers but to the health emotional development of their babies, and the wellbeing of families and communities. MumsAid will provide weekly sessions of free, specialist counselling for perinatal women living in the Peninsula area. This will deliver up to 12 sessions of our evidence-based counselling to an estimated 15 mothers per annum. Counselling will be offered from an accessible community location that can be dedicated to Peninsula mothers, whilst arrangements are finalised if required. Having identified a real demand from mothers for social engagement to reduce isolation, MumsAid will run one of our very successful art groups for mothers and their babies, supporting an additional 10 mothers over the year.
Queercircle provides a home and platform for LGBTQ+ arts, health and social change. They have developed an ecology of community organisations, grassroots organisation and charities, artists, curators and thinkers who collaborate to reimagine the role cultural spaces play in society. The grant will increase QueerCircle’s ability to deliver a welcoming community space & access to LGBTQ+ arts and culture unmatched elsewhere, comprising (as a minimum) 3 artists’ commissions per year; a library/reading room; learning & digital programme engaging 12,000 people annually by 2026. This will also contribute to their strategic work with Greenwich Council and GLA to improve the night-time economy and late-night offer of the area.
The Conservation Volunteers at Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park brings people together to create, improve and care for green spaces and delivers multiple outcomes, not just for the environment but for people and communities too. The project will engage groups and individuals from the Peninsula in a range of “Rurbanite” themed urban gardening activities across the Peninsula, bringing in TCV’s London Biodiversity Action Teams (made up of a TCV staff member and volunteers) to assist with construction work and ground preparation. Going forward, this space would be nurtured by residents with the support of TCV. A celebration event at the end of the project, including an interactive walk taking in the different project areas and refreshments and discussion/feedback with a display of photos at the Ecology Park.
If you are a charity, looking to find out more about the Fund contact us at [email protected]
