London Gatwick has delivered a fresh cash injection for 20 of the most deserving organisations and special causes throughout Kent, Sussex and Surrey, with more than £87,000 donated just in time for Christmas.
The London Gatwick Foundation Fund includes three rounds of funding throughout the year which community groups can apply for.
Melanie Wrightson, stakeholder engagement manager at London Gatwick, said: “It’s important to us that everyone who lives near London Gatwick – not just those that work here or use the facility – experience the positive effects of being near one of the nation’s most important transport hubs.
“The London Gatwick Foundation Fund’s role is more important than ever right now as a result of the cost-of-living crisis. So many charities and support organisations are experiencing a fall in income as well as rising operational costs. We’re very pleased to be able to offer an essential lifeline.”
In Kent, the latest deserving recipients included Age UK Sevenoaks and Tonbridge, which received £3,500 towards staff costs for its Information and Advice Service; Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services in West Kent, which was awarded £4,000 towards the salary of a volunteer recruitment manager; and Home-Start South West Kent, which received £3,000 for core operational costs going towards supporting families in need with young children in Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.
St George’s Community Children’s Project in Tunbridge Wells was given £3,000 for its Assisted Childcare Places Scheme, and the Eden Christian Trust in Edenbridge also received £3,000 towards the salary of a full-time youth worker.
Tree of Hope, which supports families with sick children in Tunbridge Wells, and West Kent Mediation were each awarded £3,000 to cover core costs, while Tonbridge Welcomes Refugees received £7,500 to support Home Office-settled refugee children.
In Sussex, Home-Start CHAMS, which supports families with children under five in Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex, received £10,000 towards operational costs; The Garden Army (pictured main), which looks after people living with mental health and wellbeing needs in Mid Sussex, was awarded £5,000 to help improve accessibility; and Crowborough Community Pantry, which aims to address food poverty and reduce food waste, was given £5,000 funding towards establishing a base with storage facilities.
Additionally, Crawley Community Action, an organisation that tackles health and social inequalities, received £5,375 towards staffing, and The Crawley CAP Centre, which offers in-home debt counselling and financial planning, was awarded £4,625 towards operational costs.
In Surrey, Big Leaf Foundation, which provides a programme of activities, projects and events that focus on combatting social isolation for displaced young people in the county, was awarded £5,000 for running costs.
Horley Lions Club received £5,000 for its much-needed Warm Over Winter project, and Leatherhead Youth Project, which aims to help young people to be safe, happy and make positive changes in their lives, received £4,800 for a sessional worker.
Stripey Stork, the baby bank collecting donations of clothes, toys and essential items for babies and children in Reigate and Banstead, was awarded £5,000 towards a project manager; Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership in Mole Valley, which partners with learning providers, received £2,877 towards its Musical Harmony project; and, finally, YMCA East Surrey, a community-focused non-profit with recreational programmes and services for all ages, received £5,000.
To apply for the next round of funding from the London Gatwick Foundation Fund, applicants should express an interest by:
- Sussex: 5 January 2024
- Surrey: 29 January 2024
- Kent: 8 February 2024
