As part of our long-term commitment to our communities, we have promised to deliver a shareholder-funded, annual £1m support fund for local community initiatives and good causes over the next five years. The Community Matters funding programme builds on the £1 million Covid response fund we delivered last year to support our vulnerable customers through the pandemic.
We are pledging to support our most vulnerable customers with grants from our Community Matters Fund ahead of this year’s Mental Health Week. The upcoming awareness week (9-15 May) aims to tackle loneliness – particularly in the wake of the pandemic, which has left many people reporting feelings of isolation.
To provide much needed support for the local organisations tackling these vital issues, WPD is calling on charities, councils and community groups in the South West, the Midlands and South Wales to apply for grants of up to £10,000.
The Community Matters Fund is looking to support projects addressing loneliness and social isolation that fit within the following themes:
- Delivering services to reduce loneliness and/or social isolation
- Delivering services to improve mental health caused by loneliness and/or social isolation
- Delivering educational activities focused on skills development and ongoing support to reduce loneliness and/or social isolation (e.g. digital skills, employability skills, life skills)
- Innovative approaches to combat loneliness and/or social isolation and its associated impact on mental health.
The programme is now live and accepting applications until 24th April 2022.
All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by 4th May 2022.
Projects must be delivered and funding spent by 31st December 2022.
Our Loneliness and Social Isolation FAQs can be viewed here.
