Derwent London commences year two of its £250,000 community programme in Fitzrovia
Derwent London plc (“Derwent London” / “the Group”) is pleased to announce details of its 2014 community funding programme in Fitzrovia. This forms part of its on-going sustainability programme and follows the launch of the £250,000 community fund in 2013.
Fitzrovia Community Centre proposal 2013
Replanting at Fitzrovia Children's Nursery 2013
Derwent London invites local community groups, residents and local business owners to apply for the second year of awards from its Fitzrovia community fund. For 2014, a total of £70,000 will be available with the deadline for receiving applications at 5pm on Thursday 20 March 2014.
Following feedback from last year, the process has been streamlined, making the application easier and the window to apply longer. As last year, the applications will be considered by of representatives from Derwent London, local authority representatives and the local community. For further information and how to apply, please visit www.derwentlondon.com/news/article/fitzrovia-community-fund-2014 or contact Derwent London at its head office on 020 7659 3000 or email fitzrovia@derwentlondon.com.
Derwent London has worked closely with the local community and the London Borough of Camden to develop this programme and enable the delivery of some worthwhile projects in the area. Grants from this community fund are in addition to the Group’s community contributions required from planning agreements.
Projects funded in 2013 are well under way and are providing much needed improvements, community facilities and opportunities in the area. In Year 1 of the fund (2013) a total of £70,000 was awarded to five local organisations:
Fitzrovia Community Centre
£30,000 was awarded for creating a community garden at the Fitzrovia Community Centre including a pop-up café and gallery. Street planters will also be installed or restored in local public spaces.
The project is now under way; planting will start in Spring 2014 and the projects will be ready by early Summer 2014. For further information, visit www.fitzroviacommunitycentre.org
Fitzrovia Youth in Action
£30,000 was awarded for the resurfacing of The Warren multi-use games area and setting up a local football league. The resurfacing is expected to be ready by early Summer 2014 and details of how to book the games area will then be available. For further information, visit www.fya.org.uk
In addition, a total of £10,000 was awarded to the following organisations:
All Souls Primary School - for running lunch and after-school clubs and parenting classes.
All Souls Clubhouse - for the Wednesday Lunch Club for older people.
Fitzrovia Trust - for replanting the garden at the Fitzrovia Nursery. The main replanting took place in Autumn 2013 and was launched with a Teddy Bear's Picnic for children; further replanting and events are due to take place in Spring 2014.
John Davies, Head of Sustainability at Derwent London, commented:
“We are delighted to continue our community funding programme in Fitzrovia. Working together with the local community, we are hoping to provide support to a number of worthwhile local projects this year. Likewise we look forward to seeing the results of the 2013 funding come to fruition, bringing about significant improvements to the area and much-needed opportunities for local people.”
Background on the Derwent London Fitzrovia community fund
During 2012, Derwent London commissioned an extensive research and community engagement programme called ‘Understanding Fitzrovia’ which helped identify the issues most important to local residents. The findings of the study enabled the Group to develop a community investment strategy with a commitment of £250,000 towards initiatives in the Fitzrovia community over a 3-5 year period (inclusive of £50,000 towards fees and contingencies). Launched in May 2013, the investment areas identified include supporting improvements to public spaces and street environments, community programmes and events and activities around arts and culture.
To complement the Fitzrovia community funding programme, Derwent London also launched a staff volunteering scheme in 2013 to enable employees to contribute their time and skills to some of the projects. In December 2013, Derwent London staff took part in Fitzrovia Youth in Action's 'Speed Networking' event which saw young people meet professionals to ask questions, share experiences and provide valuable information on working life. In addition, Derwent London staff raised £1,200 and delivered gifts to the elderly in Fitzrovia as part of All Souls Clubhouse's Secret Santa initiative.