Two Brighton and Hove charities have been awarded grants from Southern Water to help provide places where people can stay warm this winter.
The charities in Hangleton and Whitehawk have been awarded “community energy grants” of £1,000 each to go towards the bills and help them to keep free, warm community spaces open.
Southern Water’s scheme, which started in October, will help the Hangleton Community Association and the Crew Club to pay their core utility costs.
The company said that community energy grants had been awarded to community centres across East Sussex, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight.
Southern Water’s community partnerships and programme manager Alex Willumsen said: “We know times are hard for many customers now, in the face of a ‘cost of living crisis’, so we are determined to do what we can to build resilience and support for those facing challenges in our community.
“Through our grants scheme, which aims to support both customers experiencing hardship and our communities, we are providing funding support to enable community spaces to continue to operate over winter months and support the work of those networks in our communities to thrive.”
Hangleton Community Association, which supports more than 500 people a week, provides low-cost and free activities for residents including clubs for young people, a play therapist and soft play.
The Crew Club works with children, young people and families living in Whitehawk to offer free activities six days a week during term time and school holidays.
The activities include clubs of all ages for children, an adult craft club and community breakfasts. In 2021, more than 700 people took part in the various programmes.
The community energy grants are open to independently run community centres and spaces, where activities such as local food banks, support groups and children’s programmes operate.
The centres to have been awarded the latest grants this week are
- East Sussex – the Hangleton Community Association, the Crew Club and the Sussex Community Development Association
- West Sussex - the Chichester Community Development Trust and the Fishbourne Playing Field Association
- Isle of Wight – Pan Together, Newport Minster and the Veterans Hub CIC
