Cost-of-living projects among those to get Community Chest funds

08 Feb 2023

Community Chest grants of more than £550,000, over half of which will support work to help West Suffolk residents with the cost-of-living, have been agreed.

A total of 32 voluntary and community organisations, charities, faith groups and social enterprises, will receive funding for projects following the decision by West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet last night (7 February).

The decision includes over £315,000 of Community Chest funding for ten projects identified as specifically helping people with some of the challenges stemming from the cost-of-living. These include a mobile foodbank in Haverhill, a community grocery in Bury St Edmunds, a community café in Hundon and support services covering the whole of West Suffolk to help people with finances including debts and budgeting.

West Suffolk Council has already supported warm spaces, foodbanks, community work to help people save energy and costs, and other work to help people with the cost-of-living this winter. It gave grants to warm spaces using just under £90,000 of funding from Suffolk County Council through Suffolk’s Collaborative Communities Board (CCB) and is currently paying out a further £70,343 of winter support funds using part of its allocation from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Cabinet agreed last year to increase the Community Chest funding available by 10 per cent for 2023/24 specifically to fund work that helps residents with the challenges around the cost-of-living. The pot of funding has since been given a further top up with £44,123 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund money allocated to the council, bringing the total available to £557,529.

Cllr Robert Everitt, Cabinet Member for Families and Communities, said: “These are challenging times and we have already helped around 60 community organisations access over £160,000 of funds to support the work that they are doing to help West Suffolk residents this winter.

“We know that there’s already greater demand on many of the voluntary sector services such as Citizens Advice West Suffolk who we are continuing to support with an increase in their Community Chest funding this year.

“That is why we increased the level of Community Chest funds available for 2023-24 so that we could invest more funding to help our residents through these challenging times.

“Community Chest isn’t just about the cost-of-living though. It was set up in 2015 to invest in community-led initiatives and projects that benefit the health and wellbeing of residents in West Suffolk. Through this, it is not only improving their lives but also helping prevent issues, an example being the effects of social isolation and loneliness leading to spiralling mental and physical health. Each of these projects we are investing in, is about making a difference to people’s lives, and I am pleased that we are able to give these organisations West Suffolk Council’s support.”

As well as Community Chest, West Suffolk Council supports community and voluntary organisations through councillor locality budgets, practical support and guidance, and by making organisations aware of other sources of funding available.

In total, Community Chest received 52 applications totalling £1,137,335. Some applications didn’t meet the scheme criteria or supply enough information as to how it would benefit residents. Wherever it can, West Suffolk Council’s families and communities team will help direct those who aren’t receiving Community Chest, to other appropriate sources of funding.

The table below gives a summary of the organisations recommended to receive Community Chest funding

Who	Where	What for	How much
Haverhill Community Trust	Haverhill	Funding to provide our national award-winning SignPost projects: Junior SignPost (13-16 years), Adult SignPost (16-25 years) and SignPost Toddler ‘N’ Me (young parents up to 25 years) - wellbeing support groups for those at risk of marginalisation or social exclusion due to poor mental health, e.g. anxiety, depression, low mood, low confidence or self-esteem.	£11,620
Theatre Royal	Bury St Edmunds	Cost-of-living project Creative Theatre Workshop delivered at Theatre Royal - half day drama and well-being workshop. This project will provide a safe, warm place for participants to develop their social skills.	£5,993
St Mary's Church	Haverhill	Cost-of-living project To update our kitchen to enable St Mary’s Church to offer free hot meals to families in need during this difficult time.	£6,925
Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service (SARS) West Suffolk	West Suffolk	Funding to support six SARS solo responders and a team vehicle to be permanently based within West Suffolk.	£10,000
St Nicholas Hospice Trust	West Suffolk	Funding for Nicky’s Way bereavement service for children and young people. It supports for children and young people aged five to 18 who have experienced the death of someone significant to them.	£20,000
Art Branches Community Interest Company	West Suffolk	Funding for wellbeing creative service for patients in West Suffolk area who are affected by cancer. Cancer treatments can be both challenging mentally and physically to get through and Art Branches wants to improve people’s chances of staying mentally well during this treatment.	£9,524
Bury Drop In	Bury St Edmunds	Cost-of-living project Funding to support a weekly self-help progression group. During every session, the group cook a meal together; learning how to format recipes, budgeting and develop cookery skills.	£9,460
Wood Monkey Community Interest Company West Suffolk	West Suffolk	Funding to support young people to gain self-confidence, self-esteem, and experience a boost to their mental health from creating and building their own products, and from connecting with people who understand them.	£20,000.
Reach Community Projects	Haverhill	Cost-of-living project Funding to support a mobile resources hub including foodbank in various venues on different days around the town.	£13,000
Catch 22, Suffolk Positive Futures	Mildenhall and Newmarket	Funding to deliver twice a week free boxing sessions for young people, taking place in Mildenhall and Newmarket. The project would support young people living in these areas to become physically active each week which will improve their physical and mental wellbeing.	£4,800
Mildenhall and Newmarket Sea Cadets	Mildenhall	Funding will support the group’s ability to make Kayaks/canoes available to more young people increasing both their physical activity and mental wellbeing.	£6,000
The Racing Centre	Newmarket	To establish an ethnic minority health and wellbeing program in Newmarket locality to improve wellbeing. This will take the form of a group fitness classes, personalised wellbeing checks and support sessions around signposting and accessing services available locally.	£5,400
Vogue Athletics	Newmarket	For a gymnastics-style gym and community hub in Newmarket, accessible for all of Suffolk.	£10,000
Bridge Community Church	Bury St Edmunds	Cost-of-living project Community grocery will allow beneficiaries to obtain what they need for themselves and receive further help such as budgeting advice and support with filling out applications for benefits from trained volunteers.	£7,000
Cambridge Pringle Group	Haverhill	Purchase our own men’s shed for project to assist participants mental wellbeing and reduce in isolation.	£7,800
West Suffolk Hive Community Interest Company	West Suffolk	To provide educational and wellbeing sessions to families and children aged from 0- 16 years old.	£3,982
Hundon Village Hall and Playing Fields Charity	Hundon	Cost-of-living project To expand voluntary 'Community Cafe' providing tea and cake/biscuits, and an opportunity for social interaction between attendees many of whom are elderly residents of the village.	£2,480
Bury St Edmunds Women’s Aid	Haverhill	For young people’s support and Healthy Relationships Programmes (HRP) and associated work with sector professionals in Haverhill.	£4,200
Cruse Bereavement	West Suffolk	To deliver personalised specialist support to an estimated 100 adults and children in West Suffolk.	£4,882
Befriending Scheme	Haverhill	To continue a cookery skills group in Haverhill, every Wednesday 10am-3pm. The focus of the group is teaching basic cooking skills to vulnerable adults with learning disabilities.	£5,000
Families Together	Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill	To deliver Birth and Beyond to support young mums, under the age of 25 years, who are living in Acorn House, Bury St Edmunds and Coupals Court in Haverhill, who come under the umbrella of being homeless.	£5,908
Sharing Parenting	West Suffolk	For a Special Educational Needs (SEN) project worker to help build and develop groups in West Suffolk, providing support to parents.	£5,142
Suffolk Family Carers	West Suffolk	Health coaching for 20 Young Adult Carers (YAC) in West Suffolk.	£10,000
Second Chance Stroke Association	Bury St Edmunds	Funding towards costs of professional Physiotherapist to help stroke survivors.	£3,840
BME Suffolk Support Group	Mildenhall	Cost-of-living project	£3,000
Gatehouse Caring	Bury St Edmunds	Cost-of-living project Funding toward Homestore and Foodbank not just to provide or sell cheap food but to help build more support and resilience to individuals and the wider community.	£12,934
Lightwave Charitable incorporated organisation	Beck Row and Red Lodge	Cost-of-living project Sustain the food bank operation and provide a warm and safe space in its café for people, especially pensioners and those in need of support with mental health issues.	£8,200
Our Special Friends	West Suffolk	Funding for Animal Companionship Practitioners to provide a Crisis Support and Prevention service which assesses the needs of every case and provides whatever support is needed to bring about a positive solution.	£5,000
The Voluntary Network	West Suffolk	Funding for Befriending service, a team of volunteers providing one to one support to people over 60 years old who would otherwise be isolated. Volunteers spend an hour per week to offer friendship and support, face to face visits or by telephone. The service accepts referrals from GPs, Social Services, family and other voluntary organisations.	£31,700
The Voluntary Network	West Suffolk	Funding for community transport scheme providing support to any resident that finds it difficult to use public transport, age, mobility or lack of scheduled services.	£52,810
The Gunners Football Club	West Row	Money for equipment so club can provide more opportunities for all ages.	£5,550
Citizens Advice West Suffolk	West Suffolk	Towards costs of providing information, advice and advocacy across the West Suffolk area, including financial capability work in the community.	£245,379

 

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