To give community groups the best opportunity to flourish, Slough Borough Council and Frimley ICB came together with additional money to support the One Slough Community Fund this year. A further £65,901 was subsequently awarded to the fund for 2024, bringing the fund to a total of £174,136.
The #OneSlough Community Fund launched an application process in April 2024. The fund attracted 44 applications from voluntary and community groups to deliver projects to meet Slough’s key priorities for the upcoming year. The total amount of funding requested was £291,980. The funding panel included representatives from Slough CVS, Slough Borough Council, Slough Public Health, NHS, Frimley ICB and the Slough Co-Production Network. The panel had a budget of £108,235 to award to groups.
The panel successfully awarded funding to 31 groups, who applied for grants of up to either £2,000, £5,000 or £10,000. The funding period for applications runs from August 2024 to June 2025. To ensure funding is distributed across a range of projects and to grassroots organisations, priority was given to groups applying for up to £2,000, £5,000 then £10,000, in that order.
The key priorities and objectives of the funding were compiled with the strategic aims and priorities in mind of the Slough Wellbeing Strategy, Adult Social Care, Social Prescribing networks, Co-Production Network and the Voluntary and Community Sector. The priority themes and criteria for applications were:
- supporting health and wellbeing
- tackling isolation and loneliness
- alleviating the effects of poverty.
Applications supporting the following Outcomes and Groups were be particularly welcomed:
- support for all children:
- opportunities to support children’s wellbeing within a story telling context such as libraries
- support around healthy weight, healthy eating and exercise.
- support for asylum and refugee families and Individuals:
- language and befriending support for asylum seekers and refugees across all age groups via activities that develop language skills – both English (ESOL) and mother-tongue support for those who are alone and/or isolated
- ESOL (English Spoken as a Second Language) and school support for children of refugees and asylum-seeking families
- role modelling support and befriending for boys and young men.
- support for all vulnerable residents:
- befriending services and accessible, low or no cost transport
- support for people with Learning Disabilities:
- Healthy weight, healthy eating and exercise awareness presented in accessible and engaging projects.
- mental health and wellbeing support specifically for:
- Perinatal and pregnancy support
- Support for people living with dementia and their carers
- support for people who use or are impacted by substances.