This week, we launched the Social Connection Fund.
The Fund will distribute grants of up £1,500 to local residents, registered non-profit organisations or unincorporated groups that deliver projects that bring people together in Abbey Wood, Charlton Hornfair, Eltham Page and Mottingham, Coldharbour and New Eltham.
At Greenwich Giving, involving residents is at the heart of our mission. We started this journey by asking over 200 community members: what would you like to change in the borough?
People told us:
Social activities help people to connect and give them freedom to talk.
Loneliness has such a harmful effect on people. Disabled people, especially those of us who rely on social care services, have fewer and fewer opportunities to overcome loneliness.
Loneliness affects all classes and ages and communities and is an unknown effect of living in London. I feel that more focus should be placed upon it to reduce it.
The theme that emerged was clear: Greenwich residents want more connection for Greenwich.
That's why the Social Connection Fund provides funding and support to empower Greenwich residents and local organisations to build connection and tackle loneliness!
If you have an idea for how to bring people together, you can apply now for between £300 and £1,500!
We also want residents to have a say in what happens in their community at the next stage of the Social Connection Fund.
It is residents on a panel that have the final say over what happens with the money we raised. Together, they will have the power to decide what projects to fund, because Greenwich Giving believes that people living and working here know what they need.
If you want to sit on the panel to make decisions with your community about your community, you can learn more about this here!