Gatwick & Local Community Groups

• 20 community projects benefitted in the latest round of £300,000 annual funding
• Initiatives support the elderly, young and vulnerable
• Applications wanted for next rounds in Sussex, Surrey and Kent 

London Gatwick is encouraging local projects and communities in Sussex, Surrey and Kent that help the elderly, young and vulnerable to apply for funding support from the Gatwick Foundation Fund.

The Gatwick Foundation Fund distributes £300,000 annually- £100,000 for each county – in three rounds of funding each year. So far, just under 200 organisations and 90,000 people have benefited from the fund since its inception in 2016.  Twenty projects received funding in the latest round (full list in Notes to Editors), including:

New Harmonie (Mid Sussex) which puts on entertainment for the elderly, sick or disabled, such as music workshops. The funding will pay for three music workshops in five different care homes for people with dementia.

Stripey Stork- Rent and Referral Coordinator (Reigate and Banstead) funding will be used towards rental costs and the part-time salary costs for a referral coordinator for a charity which collects new and pre-loved items for babies and children in need.

Involve Kent (Tonbridge and Malling) which looks after those who are disadvantaged, frail and lonely and views these issues as the main causes of ill-health. The project will receive £4,000 from the fund to set up a telephone scheme aiming to reach out to the lonely.

Gatwick has also produced five short films showcasing some of the important work that these projects do to support local people including the Posh Club which holds entertainment events in Brighton, Hastings and London for the elderly.

Alison Addy, Head of Community Engagement, Gatwick Airport said:

“We are delighted to be awarding another round of grants from our Foundation Fund to charities and projects across the region.

“The Gatwick Foundation Fund is designed to share the benefits the airport generates among local people and communities who are most in need, and it complements the many other economic contributions that Gatwick brings to the region. We hold three rounds of funding each year and we welcome applications from all projects that support families, the elderly, young and vulnerable.”

Charlotte Osborn-Forde, Chief Executive Officer, Involve Kent said:

“We are delighted to receive this funding from the Gatwick Foundation which meets a really important need in the community. Working alongside local health services such as GPs, it became clear to us that there is a real gap for older people who are very isolated or housebound. We came across people with really low confidence, feeling lonely and not ready to come out and join a local group. Our new project funding by the Foundation will recruit local volunteers to work from our base in Tonbridge High Street, to make regular friendly telephone calls to people who have no one else to chat to, and don’t have the confidence to meet face to face, to reach out to them and help them re-connect. This grant enables us to initiate this work; recruit the volunteers, train and support them to reach the most isolated and lonely older people in the area.”

To apply for funding please look at the website for county’s Community Fund: Sussex, Surrey and Kent.