A young girl stands at a table making summer rolls

£24,307 awarded to first round of Community Chest projects

Updated: 25 April 2022 at 12:04pm

A comedy course, tree planting programme, community carnival and fitness classes are some of this year’s small grant projects to receive funding from our 2022 Community Chest. 

This year, Phoenix’s Community Chest is offering the biggest pot of money yet - £130,000 for small and large grants! The first round of funding has been awarded to projects that will improve people's lives in our areas of Bellingham, Whitefoot, Downham and Grove Park. We're pleased to announce that 10 projects have been awarded funding by our resident-led evaluation panel.These are: 

 

Castillon Unity Garden (£2,470) 

Hour-long workshops covering subjects such as landscaping/design, permaculture, vermiculture, soil health, composting, maintenance, harvesting and nutrition. We also plan to create a community garden and constructing a greenhouse which can be enjoyed by local residents as part of a longer-term project. 

 

Fitness & Friendship (£2,400) 

Fitness and Friendship will be hosting a six-week healthy lifestyle programme, for residents who suffer from chronic illnesses such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety, asthma and COPD. We will meet for an hour and half a week, where we will discuss topics such as healthy eating using the eat well plate, the importance of physical activity and sleep, stress management, self-care, as well as goal setting. 

 

Fun & Fitness with Afro-Caribbean Music (£2,423) 

Free weekly workshops for 50 people aged 50+ with recorded music derived from Afro-Caribbean heritage, such as Afro rhythms, Salsa and more in an accessible community venue. The emphasis will be on enjoyment and fun while exercising so it does not feel like hard work but will improve fitness levels.  

 

Girls-R-Us (£2,814) 

The project will be in partnership with Lewisham’s leading youth charity Youth First to create a safe space for younger girls and help them to transition from their primary schools to their secondary schools with healthy eating cooking sessions and activites to promote health and wellbeing. 

 

Grove Park Carnival (£2,500) 

A community Carnival that will take place in Chinbrook Meadows with stalls for local vendors, community groups, entertainment, a girl's football tournament, and a dog show. 

 

Grove Park Mural (£2,480) 

Creative mural workshops with local families and schools which will help us create a community mural at The WG Grace Centre. 

 

Spread the Word (£2,490) 

The project is aimed at Phoenix residents, aged 25+ who would like to give comedy a go through taking part in a novices’ comedy course led by professional comedian Bentley Browning. Course participants will also have the opportunity to perform their work at the Fellowship to an audience of up to 80 from Phoenix’s wider community.    

 

Street Trees for Living (£2,500) 

A street tree-planting project that will connect people to nature and teach children about the natural world. We will engage local residents in selecting suitable planting locations and tree species. Watering and tree care demonstrations will be organised to encourage regular watering from April to October for the first two years. Phoenix residents will also have the opportunity to name the trees and include a dedication on a tree label. 

 

WG Grace Senior Citizens (£2,000) 

The project aims to deliver a Christmas Party celebration at the WG Grace Centre in December and take residents to watch a pantomime show. A minimum of 20 seniors from the Phoenix area will benefit from the two activities making use of the WG Grace Centre in Grove Park and a coach hired from Access Coaches will take residents to and from the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. 

 

Wuntanara African Drumming (£2,230) 

Free weekly African drumming community workshops for Phoenix families, residents and the broader local community, embedding a varied traditional drumming repertoire and new musical skills, in partnership with St John's Church. 

 

Keep an eye out for more information on when these projects will be starting and how you can get involved. 

Larger grants of up to £20,000 are now up for grabs and will be decided by a tenant vote. The panel has shortlisted 10 projects, all that is left to do it vote! Find out more about this year’s shortlisted projects and vote online. Voting will close on Thursday 12 May.