A Community Fund run by local housing association Onward Homes, has supported 11 projects throughout Lancashire over the last year.
Underpinned by their mission to make a positive difference in the communities they serve, Onward’s Community Fund supports local community groups to run new and existing projects that address local food, digital, green, and work issues. Examples include courses providing digital access and training, youth projects that promote better health and wellbeing through green space, and community events that provide low cost, nutritious food options.
Groups can bid for up to £2,500 for their neighbourhood, with over £21,000 distributed to Lancashire organisations in 2022/23. The following groups and organisations across Lancashire have received a contribution:
- The Pukar Centre, Preston awarded £2462
- Kokoro Accrington Lions Boxing Club awarded £2495
- Active Lancashire awarded £2500
- Community Solutions awarded £2450
- Bridgefield Water Polo Club awarded £1000
- Maudy Relief awarded £2545
- The Borrows awarded £2500
- Accrington Christians Together awarded £2500
- Hyndburn Food Pantry awarded £900
- Preston Community Hub awarded £2500
- Lancashire LGBT – £350
Based in Preston City Centre, The Pukar Centre applied to the Onward Community Fund to help employ an additional worker for 6 hours per week. The centre has been supporting local people for over 25 years, working with disabled people, carers, and families to help them maintain their independence, but has struggled to keep up with demand in recent months due to the cost of living.
Younus Khan, Manager of the Pukar Centre in Preston, said:
“There has been an increased demand on our services as a direct result of the cost of living. We applied for the Onward Community Fund to help employ an additional worker to help us target more local people who are most in need as the cost of living rises. This grant will allow us to support more vulnerable people not just with cost of living, but also to support them into work and engage with new digital skills.
We would like to thank Onward and appreciate the support to help us continue our work in Preston.”
Onward are re-launching the Community Fund on April 1st 2023, with the first round closing at 5pm on Monday 15th May 2023. Applications for the Community Fund are assessed by a panel who consider each application based on its merits and its potential support local residents who are facing increased challenges due to the rising cost of living.
Andrew Brown, Director of Housing & Specialist Living for Onward, said:
“We are re-launching the Onward Community Fund for 2023/24 to ensure we can continue to support local organisations right across Lancashire.
We are committed to working with our local partners to provide our customers with practical support and guidance on responding to the increased cost of living, and we want to help as many local groups and organisations as possible to continue their work. This fund will support the delivery of important projects across our neighbourhoods helping to improve life for local people and making sure our communities continue to thrive.
I urge groups to check if they are eligible and get their application in as soon as possible so that we can start to see this funding make a real difference in our communities.”
