The funding, which is the Council’s flagship community funding programme, is part of its wider commitment to Hounslow’s voluntary sector.
Published: Thursday, 28th November 2024
This autumn, Hounslow Council awarded £508,000 of funding to 24 local charities and voluntary groups. All grants reflect the Council’s commitment to making the borough a greener, healthier, safer and more thriving place to live, work and study.
Some of the projects that received funding aim to empower girls and women to realise their potential. The charity Perfectly Unperfect received nearly £30,000 to support local young girls affected by exploitation while True Honour received £15,528 to provide learning opportunities for women and girls who may be experiencing marginalisation or are victims of honour-based violence.
LEAH, a local charity that supports predominately female refugees and asylum seekers to learn English, valued the importance of the funding to their project’s aims. Abby Holliday, Director at LEAH, said:
“The Heston class supports local residents most of whom would otherwise not be able to access any English language support.
“Our class provides a vital stepping stone that enables isolated learners to meet and receive tailored English language support, engage with others, and gain confidence in communicating their needs.”
Along with empowering women and girls, the funded projects also include supporting older residents facing social isolation. AKAAL provides social and exercise activities for older people from the South Asian Community while Holy Trinity Church received funding to deliver a creative arts programme for isolated older residents or those who may be at risk of homelessness.
Councillor Grewal, Cabinet Member for Residents Support, Communities and Equalities at Hounslow Council, said:
“We know many residents are facing challenges around social isolation, marginalisation and economic hardship. These community groups – who form the bedrock of our communities here in Hounslow – will help us tackle these challenges head on.
“Our new four-year Thriving Communities Strategy illustrates our ongoing commitment to support the voluntary sector, and we want to ensure these volunteers, community groups and charities remain woven into the fabric of every day life in Hounslow.”
“We can achieve so much more working together.”
To find out more about the Council’s Thriving Communities funding opportunities, click here.
