Grow - was one of the recipients
Barnet-based community groups have been awarded grants from the £240,000 Community Innovation Fund (CIF), to help support and fund projects that tackle the cost-of-living crisis and its impact on residents’ health.
Following the success of the first two rounds, the Fund’s third round opened for innovative local projects that would particularly benefit communities with poorer health outcomes.
Successful applicants included:
- Kisharon, which received £30,000 and helps residents struggling with the cost-of-living crisis including access to warm space, food and warm drink and clothes and blankets
- The Barnet Lone Parent Centre, which received £10,000 to enhance and expand their free Help with Money (HWM) benefits and welfare service to support more lone parents.
- Colindale Communities Trust, which received £15,700 to fund specialised early intervention and prevention caseworkers, to reduce gaps in service delivery and improving overall community health.
Cllr Alison Moore, Chair of Barnet Council’s Health & Wellbeing Board, said: “The Community Innovation Fund was set up to help make a real difference to those living in Barnet.
“It is really positive to see so many local community groups looking to fund projects that will improve the health and well-being of people across the borough and support our most vulnerable residents during these challenging times.
“I very much look forward to hearing about the success of these projects over the coming months.”
An independent grants panel met in December 2022 to consider which organisations would be awarded the funding and how much money they would receive.
Fifty-six community groups across the borough submitted applications for funding, totalling just under £1,200,000. Following this third round, nearly £820,000 has been invested in over 50 local projects that are helping Barnet residents improve their health and wellbeing.
Barnet Council launched the CIF in Spring 2021 on behalf of the Barnet Borough Partnership. It comprises funding from health and social care partners as well as the council and is co-designed with Barnet Together – the borough’s voluntary sector partnership.
The funding, from local NHS acute and community trusts, North Central London Integrated Care Board and Barnet Council, aims to improve health and wellbeing in the borough.
The full list of grantees in the third round of the CIF included:
- Kisharon, £30,000.00
- BreadnButter CIC, £27,049.00
- Give. Help. Share, £9,980.00
- NW7Hub, £28,901.00
- Colindale Communities Trust, £15,708.00
- Meridian Wellbeing, £9,960.00
- Homeless Action in Barnet, £40,000
- Barnet Lone Parent Centre, £10,000
- Somali Bravanese Welfare Association-SBWA, £29,999
- The Romanian and Eastern European Hub, £38,403