Strong Foundations Grant recipients in London

Last year, our Major Projects team selected six projects based in and around London. Here’s a little more information about these projects:

• Part of Westminster City Council, the Responsible Economy department acts as the liaison between business partners and charities across the borough. Our grant will be used to provide free breakfasts to students who need it at St Marylebone Bridge Academy. This will support students to achieve their potential without worrying about hunger or fatigue. It will also be an enormous relief for parents, many of whom are struggling with increasing living costs and are unable to offer their child the most important meal of the day.  

• Rathbone Amateur Boxing Club provides free and subsidised non-contact boxing sessions for local young people, plus education and employment and volunteering opportunities to underrepresented groups who may not usually feel comfortable in a boxing gym. Funding provided by our grant will be used to recruit, train, and qualify more volunteers to coach in existing sessions so that more people can join the boxing sessions.   

• The Listening Place (TLP) is a volunteer-led charity providing free, ongoing, non-judgmental, face-to- face, confidential support by appointment for those who feel life is no longer worth living. Funding from our grant will enable the charity to offer immediate support to 12 people for 12 months. The team will get in touch within 24hrs after a suicide attempt to book in a face-to-face appointment that will be held within at least 7 days of that date. This support is not easily available, and many people leave hospital and get stuck in months long wait list for help.  
   
• All Souls Serve the City is a charitable group set up by the All Souls Church in London. The funding awarded will be used towards its Senior Care project. This project brings those aged 65+ together in a warm, friendly environment. This includes a weekly Wednesday Lunch Club, that provides a hot three-course meal, followed by a variety of entertainment – crafting, bingo, etc. The occasional outing and the important befriending service, offered by phone or in person, depending on the need of the individual. This project provides community for those who are isolated or overlooked and helps improve mental health and reduce loneliness. 

• The Abbey Community Association, or Abbey Centre, is a community hub in south Westminster, that brings together residents and organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of local people, especially those experiencing the greatest health and wealth inequalities. Its Community Pantry continues to provide the local community with access to affordable and quality food and products. With the current cost of living crisis there’s been a huge surge in demand for hygiene products (nappies, feminine hygiene, soaps, deodorants, shampoos, children's toothbrushes). Grant funding will enable the team to fully stock the pantry and ensure that those who need these products have access to them.  

• North Paddington Food Bank and Westminster's Responsible Business Network have launched a Cost-of-Living Appeal to help its residents. The team have seen a 30% increase in referrals since April 2022 with several households seeking food aid for the first time. The crisis has disproportionately affected women, particularly those from black and ethnic minorities, with 23.7% of ethnic minority mothers struggling to feed their children. The funding provided will enable the team to offer emergency aid, including supermarket and fuel vouchers. They’ll also be able to continue to offer advice through their Money & Advice hub.

In 2020, we launched the Strong Foundations Grants, aimed at supporting small charities and community organisations in and around our sites and offices. Each of these projects provide opportunities for local people and drive positive change where it’s most needed.