We are delighted that we have released £60,834 to community projects to provide vital support over Christmas and into the coming New Year.

The eight successful projects wil provide a range of support and services for people and communities impacted by COVID-19.

Cypriot Community Centre - £8,250

Over 220 Meals On Wheels per week will be delivered to 50 beneficiaries. The service will support their most vulnerable elderly/disabled isolated clients during the pandemic, who can no longer go to the centre or safely cook at home, including people with dementia.

They will support approximately 100 clients weekly by telephone and through home visits and continue to provide advice through their Supporting People Advice Service. This will include regular communication and a supply of activities through their home visits, that are vital for protecting their mental health, which continues to be under stress while this uncertainty continues. They will be keeping people informed in their community languages, Greek, Turkish and English.

Edible London - £10,000

To increase the volume of meals and supplies distributed within the community over the Christmas period including through opening their free food hub at Highcross Centre for additional days. 

Family and Friends of Risley - £10,000

To provide laptops for all pupils that do not currently have access to an online device to enable them to access education remotely. The funding will provide laptops for all pupils that do not currently have access to an online device.

The computers will enable pupils to work more effectively at home, both for homework purposes and when having to self isolate due to Covid 19.

Healthy Minds, Healthy Bods - £3,229

Will be delivering an Ajani programme to 10 individuals referred by the Haringey Wellbeing Network. This will be a 12-week programme consisting of a 3 hour session every week. The course proactively and interactively promotes better lifestyle choices, helps individuals improve their fitness, health, nutrition and routine and develop a growth mind-set mentality. On completion of the programme, attendees will have access to ongoing support through the Haringey Wellbeing Network.

Step by Step - £9,755

Will deliver a 10-day play-scheme for 60 children during the Christmas holiday for their users, when school will be closed. They will provide the children with a variety of stimulating games and activities that will rework skills they may have lost over lockdown.

Providing play-scheme during this time is crucial as the children and young-people they support have been particularly vulnerable to the changes that accompanied the pandemic, in particular the closure of schools and cutbacks on services during Covid-19 lockdown. This puts them at great risk of depression and anxiety, especially because they were deprived of social interaction.

The Literacy Pirates - £4,600

Will support the final two terms of their Learning Programme held online via their ‘Virtual Ship’ (Jan-Jul 2021). During this time the children will develop their reading and writing skills by creating two published products, an audio-based app and a film. Enrolled children will be between 14-28 months behind national averages when they begin at Literacy Pirates.

The attainment gap has been further exacerbated by COVID. With the support of Literacy Pirates, children in their target group make on average 16 months progress in their reading age, without they make just four.

Wheely Tots - £10,000

Will be extending the community-led foodbank they have been supporting on Broadwater Farm by establishing weekly hot food provision until May 2021. They will draw on community resources to bring together families and households to create hot meals that will serve the community, particularly in these cold months and at a time when many people are struggling.

Beneficiaries and volunteers will share recipes, knowledge and skills. There will be space to gather and for cultural exchange where possible during COVID-19 lockdown rules. The project will support approximately 400 people in total.

Youth and Community Connections - £5,000

Will be engaging with hard to reach young people, primarily in Totteham and Wood Green every Monday – Thursday evening from 4 – 10pm.

Their gang intervention team will focus on visiting spots where there have been reports of criminal and anti-social behaviour. They will find out what kind of activities young people would like to engage in and their project workers will set up taster sessions that can be delivered outside. These will run for 45 minutes at a time twice weekly.

We are very grateful to our donors and supporters who have made it possible to release funds to these projects ahead of the Christmas and New Year period.

Further funding will be released in January 2021.