Clarion Housing Group has announced that it is awarding £71,400 in funding to organisations supporting local people through its West Ealing Community Grants Programme.

The West Ealing Community Grants Programme was established in 2021 by Clarion as part of its commitment to the regeneration of Sherwood Close.

The development, now in its third and final phase, will ultimately deliver 362 new homes in the community, with two thirds being affordable.

Managed by Clarion Futures (Clarion's charitable foundation) in partnership with A2 Dominion, since its launch the West Ealing Community Grants Programme has sought ideas to improve local spaces, invest in community projects and enhance the lives of residents Clarion Housing Group says.  

Local organisations can apply for grants to help fund projects with a particular focus on initiatives that provide opportunities for young people, support for families, or engage with older people.

In this latest round of investment, funding has been awarded to eight organisations that are working to tackle issues facing the local community, including food poverty, mental health issues and a lack of opportunities for young people. 

The Felilx Project deliver excess food to charities around Ealing and London (credit: The Felix Project).

The organisations that have received funding include The Felix Project, who will use their grant to distribute surplus food to those in need locally, as well as Miindful Ballers CIC and the Young Ealing Foundation who will deliver peer leadership, social action and mentoring opportunities for young residents and their families.

Another recipient is Mahaba Café on the High Street, which provides training and work experience placements to young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Currently fully volunteer-led, the grant will contribute towards the cost of employing a Café Manager to support young residents through their placements and into work. 

The café is open five days a week and staffed by young people with SEND while being hosted in the Ealing Project,. 

Mahaba Cafe can be found at the Ealing Project by Ealing Shopping Centre (credit: Mahaba Cafe).

In addition, funding has been awarded to The Store Cupboard – a not-for-profit affordable food project with a shop located on Broadway in West Ealing. 

Members are referred by agencies throughout the Borough of Ealing and pay a £3.50 weekly membership fee which enables them to choose food including fresh fruit, vegetables, chilled and frozen goods and store cupboard staples.

Volunteers are on hand to signpost to other sources of support, and this funding will contribute to staffing costs to manage the project and help reach even more local people. 

Sharon Averill, one of the directors of The Store Cupboard, said: "We know that things are tough at the moment as the cost of living continues to bite, and projects like ours can help people make ends meet and put healthy low-cost meals on the table.

"The support of organisations like Clarion Futures is so important for us as it means we can reach even more local people and we're so grateful to have them on our team."  

The Store Cupboard are a non-profit affordable food project in West Ealing (credit: The Store Cupboard).

Ealing Mencap and the West London Equality Centre have both received funding for projects providing advice and support to local people on a range of issues, including maximising income and managing debt; benefits entitlement and travel concessions; and access to free legal services.   

Nucleus Community Action has received funding in support of its community hub at The Lido Centre in the heart of West Ealing, delivering new advice sessions to meet increasing demand for support.

Specialists in subjects such as housing, debt and income maximisation and digital skills will be on hand on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays to work with volunteers to provide guidance and practical support to local residents. 

This in addition to funding to provide a tailored careers advice and guidance service based at The Lido Centre to help local residents source employment and training opportunities.

Support to complete job applications, improve CVs, write industry specific cover letters and prepare for interviews is provided by an experienced advisor who also runs a weekly job club.

Matt Parsonage, Head of Communities at Clarion Futures, said: "Through our regeneration of Sherwood Close, we're not only building new affordable homes but also investing £1m in the community, helping to improve local spaces and provide opportunities for local people. 

"Working with like-minded partners means we can make a bigger difference for our residents and communities, so we're delighted to be supporting these eight organisations which are doing fantastic work in West Ealing in addition to the new jobs and training support on offer to local people." 

Cllr Polly Knewstub, Ealing Council's cabinet member for Thriving Communities, said: "It's great to see Clarion investing in West Ealing through this grants programme with the recipients including all sorts of organisations that provide support for local people.

"From help with putting healthy and nutritious meals on the table to providing opportunities for young residents, the recipients of these grants are doing such important work in these challenging times, and thanks to this additional funding they'll be able to do so much more." 

To find out more about the West Ealing Community Grants Programme or to put forward a project to support, email [email protected].

We want to provide Ealing with more and more clickbait-free local news. To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following. Help us survive and sign up for our free weekly newsletter by clicking the link HERE.