The Civic Pride Fund: Supporting the Voluntary and Community Sector 2023-26 programme aims to bring together wider funding opportunities to ensure that support is available for all Merton residents. It aims to:
- invest in and support Merton’s local voluntary and community infrastructure.
- nurture a strong sense of community and reduce inequalities
- bring together preventative services that provide information, advice and support in the community to strengthen Merton resident’s physical, social, emotional, and economic resilience
Following an application process, the following successful applicants will work alongside us as 'strategic partners' from April 2023.
Theme 1 - Services that provide help
Theme 1.1 - Emergency assistance
| Organisation | Summary of Service |
|---|---|
|
Power Centre Church |
To build capacity to be better able to assist vulnerable residents living in the deprived area of East Merton through extending foodbank, offering information and advice, refer to other organisations and further train volunteers. |
|
Commonside Community Development Trust |
To provide emergency/crisis support to residents of Pollards Hill.
|
Theme 1.2 - Direct help to support adults in need
|
Organisation |
Summary of Service |
|---|---|
|
Merton Vision |
Direct outreach support to residents with a visual impairment who are isolated and/or struggling with the cost of living. |
Theme 2 - Services that grow strengths and capabilities
| Organisation | Summary of Service |
|---|---|
|
Age UK Merton |
Proposal to put in place an integrated Community Support Service (CSS), bringing together established Information and Advice and Living Well services, to further grow strengths and capabilities for older clients in Merton. |
|
Association for Polish Family |
Provide support for the Polish and EE communities in Merton mainly through the provision of information, support, and non-accredited advice, including outreach sessions. |
|
Citizens Advice Merton and Lambeth |
Provide a range of information, advice, casework and specialist support services to people across the borough relating to social welfare law. Service will include further enhanced Merton Adviceline, and face-to-face information support and advice provision. |
|
Commonside Community Development Trust |
Provide an enhanced ‘Step Forward’ programme to provide advice and support to residents in the East Mitcham area. |
|
Merton Centre for Independent Living |
Increasing the capacity of the Information and Advice service through an accredited caseworker support for Deaf and Disabled residents in Merton relating to welfare benefits, social care, concessionary travel, housing, grant applications and health. |
|
Merton Mencap |
Provide a Community Facilitator service which supports adults with learning disabilities and/or autism to live to more independently and achieve positive life-goals. |
|
Merton Vision |
Expansion of current specialist one to one and counselling service and Benefits and Welfare support services to a new client group (Hard of Hearing/Deaf people). |
|
South West London Law Centres |
Expansion of current legal casework and representation services in Merton, providing a new Merton-based Housing and Welfare Benefits Caseworker and a Crisis Navigator, based in the community, providing early triage and crisis navigation support. |
|
Springfield Advice and Law Centre |
Provide a legal advice service for mental health services users, offering advice and casework representation in debt and welfare benefit matters, including expanded advice outreach sessions. |
|
Wimbledon Guild |
Provide a preventative, strengths-based Wellbeing Support service, offering a holistic assessment and 1:1 support for vulnerable, isolated older people with limited connections in the community. |
Theme 3 - Active, supportive communities
Theme 3.1 - Preventative activities
| Organisation | Summary of Service |
|---|---|
|
Attic Theatre Company |
To provide two weekly singing groups and in addition a dance and movement workshop for people with Dementia and their carers.
|
|
Commonside Community Development Trust (AF1) |
To provide a drop-in community café, a range of activities for older and vulnerable residents in Pollards Hill and a hot two-course meal Monday to Friday.
|
|
Friends In Helier |
To provide a range of activities, outreach support and outings for older people to socialise, join in with activities and eat a hot meal together. |
|
The Merton and Morden Guild of Social Service |
To provide 16 (growing to 20) preventative activities per week for older people in Merton. |
|
Merton Community Transport |
To provide an excursion club (two trips per month) supporting members of the community struggling with loneliness and isolation to places of interest. |
|
Merton Mencap |
My Life My Community Saturday Hub for adults with a learning disability and/or Autism. |
|
Merton Vision |
A range of support and activities based at the Merton Vision community centre, including volunteer support, preventative activities, building travel confidence, communication support, low vision and lighting advice and social interaction. |
|
North East Mitcham Community Association |
To provide a range of activities for older people which includes a lunch club, falls prevention group, breakfast club and fish and chips lunch club. |
Theme 3.2 - Healthwatch Merton
| Organisation | Summary of Service |
|---|---|
|
Merton Connected |
To deliver a Healthwatch Merton service, providing an effective voice for local people in Merton, influencing and shaping Health and Social Care services to meet the needs of children, young people and adults. |
Theme 4 - An enabling system and place
Theme 4.1 - voluntary and community sector infrastructure support
|
Organisation |
Summary of Service |
|---|---|
|
BAME VOICE |
To build the capacity of BAME organisations in Merton, through the provision of good quality advice, specialist training and on-going support. |
|
Merton Connected |
To support, enable and champion the voluntary, community and faith sectors in Merton, through the provision of good quality advice and guidance to VCS organisations; learning and sharing insight to improve trust, relationships and the quality of VCS services; investing in community support to create an environment for volunteering to thrive, and: inspiring, mobilising, connecting and growing relationships. |