Derwent London plc (“Derwent London” / “the Group”) is delighted to announce the second year of projects to receive funding as part of its community funding programme in Fitzrovia. Of 18 applications, the Group can confirm seven successful recipients with a total of £75,000 being shared.
The projects chosen for this year are:
Fitzrovia Noir: 140 Characters or less - an art project portraying streetlife in Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia Neighbourhood Association: Positive Health exercise and massage project for Bangladeshi and elderly women.
Upbeat Music: Songs inspired by Dylan Thomas - music project for people with mental health issues.
All Souls Clubhouse: supporting the Clubcare project and providing new kitchen facilities
All Souls Primary School: Learning together through technology; photography project for children
Women Like Us: From Playground to Payslip – supporting Fitzrovia parents to combine work and family life
ARTfitzrovia: Taking the next steps – expanding the platform for this art collective for homeless adults
The choices were made from a number of interesting proposals which were submitted as part of the application process. Applicants were invited to attend a workshop in April to present their project proposals, meet other community members and groups and contribute to the decision-making process.
Meanwhile, the larger projects funded in 2013 will be coming to fruition this summer. Fitzrovia Community Centre’s proposal for a community garden and street planting will be launched on 12 July 2014 and Fitzrovia Youth in Action’s project to resurface The Warren multi-use games area and set up a community football league will also be ready during the summer.
Derwent London was delighted with the quality and range of applications this year. It selected the winning entries on the basis that they will offer a range of positive benefits - from social, cultural and employment opportunities to enhancements to the local area.
John Davies, Head of Sustainability at Derwent London, commented:
“We are very pleased to have seen such an increase in applications this year and some really good ideas. We were once again faced with a difficult challenge of allocating the funds. Feedback at the community workshop was again invaluable in terms of informing the final decision and allowing community stakeholders to participate actively.”
In addition to the funding, staff from Derwent London will be taking up volunteering opportunities with some of the Fitzrovia community organisations, as part of the Group's volunteering programme which was launched in 2013.