Funding boost for community initiatives in Adur to help residents post-covid

Community groups which have helped residents badly impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic have been awarded almost £20,000 in the latest round of the Adur Community Grants Programme.

Adur District Council made the decision to support these vital organisations, some of which have started new services as a result of the additional challenges people have faced in recent times.

Adur Community Gateway has received £5,000 after being recognised for providing a much-needed lifeline to families and individuals through food, and other means of support.

The Sid Youth got £4,500. The community group supports young people and is helping pupils who might be facing barriers in returning to secondary school post-lockdown.

Under their Bridge Mentoring programme they create short and long-term goals for students as well as specialised wellbeing plans. This helps them ease back into their routines which they might be finding difficult for a number of reasons, including increased anxiousness and being used to working from behind a screen.

The Sid Youth's Co-founder, Ryan Loversidge, said: “We are really pleased to have received funding from the Adur Community Grants Programme. It will allow us to expand our offer of Bridge Mentoring to students at The Sir Robert Woodard Academy and Shoreham Academy.

“Not only will they benefit from the one-to-one intervention, but they'll also be offered access to a membership at South Downs Leisure as part of their wellbeing packs, to better their health and connection to their community facilities.”

Sussex Clubs for Young People was granted £4,894.85. The organisation provides and supports inclusive youth clubs and activities across Adur, impacting on the lives of more than 10,000 young people every week across the wider area.

Worthing Mencap, which is starting a new service for Shoreham residents, received £4,850. The group will be supporting those with learning disabilities by providing them with a place to meet, helping to reduce any isolation and increasing connections.

A total of £19,244.85 was allocated in the second Adur Community Grants round of the financial year.

Councillor Kevin Boram, Adur's Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing, said:

“This time around, I made the decision to provide grants to organisations assisting those parts of the community most adversely impacted by the pandemic, including those in the fields of mental health, children and wellbeing.

“These non-for-profit organisations have provided vital support and assistance to local people experiencing disproportionate challenge and difficulty, specifically as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

“I recognise the need to assist these groups at a time when their experience, expertise and services are needed more than ever, to support our most vulnerable residents through these unprecedented times.”

The Adur Community Grants programme has been around for more than fifteen years and has granted in excess of £800,000 to more than 240 projects.

A sum of £21,360 was allocated to community groups through round one.