19 July 2010

Housing association launches community cash fund

Coventry residents are being encouraged to say how they want to improve their communities in order to access funding from a £30,000 grant award scheme run by Whitefriars Housing Group.

 

The Community Pride scheme will give Coventry residents the chance to propose ideas to improve areas in which they live to make them stronger, safer, cleaner and greener.

 

For Community Pride grants any community, voluntary or not-profit making group can face a ‘Dragon’s Den’ panel to pitch for large sums of money from the £30,000 set aside for creative ideas that deliver long-term benefits for a whole community.

 

Now in its second year, the Community Pride grants allow organisations to make real differences to communities across the city.

 

Last year’s winner, Mossdale Improvement Project Team, scooped a grant of £35,000 to improve the standard of living for residents in Mossdale and the funding has helped bring major improvements to the area.

 

The Mossdale Improvement Project is an ongoing project which covers environmental and physical improvements as well as community work with adults and younger residents, who have formed the Mossdale Rangers.

 

The funding has supported a range of physical improvements, such as a new entrance to the estate, trees being planted and surveillance technology. Residents have been involved in drawing up a master plan which includes new fencing, landscaping, gating access to paths and the creation of a home zone. A home zone is where road space in residential streets is made use of by other road users like pedestrians and cyclists, as well as motor vehicles, to change the way that streets are used and improve the quality of life for residential streets.

 

Residents are currently working through their other improvement priorities for Mossdale.

 

Amie Mitchell, aged eight, said: "I enjoy doing activities with the Mossdale Rangers, like litter picking and helping at the Christmas party. I look forward to going to Mossdale Rangers meetings because I get to see friends.

 

"I like the changes that have been done to Mossdale and it is nice to play out around the Home Zone because there is more space."

 

Lynn Hanson, head of customer engagement for Whitefriars Housing Group, said: “The improvements we have seen at Mossdale over the last year demonstrate what can be achieved by a group of people who have the vision and passion to make a difference. The improvements have had a noticeable positive impact on the community, as people are showing more willingness to get involved in activities and feel a sense of pride about the area.

 

“As a local housing provider we’ve always invested in improving homes and communities and our Community Pride grants allow us to go even further to help create better places for people to live.

 

“We’re keen to make sure the improvements make a difference to the wider community and we’ll take this into account when judging which suggestions get the green light.”

 

As well as the Community Pride grants Whitefriars Housing Group also has its Pride in our Streets grants, which are judged by a customer panel and allow residents to bid for up to £5,000 from the £150,000 pot available for schemes across the association’s estates.

 

Both schemes will fund improvements worth up to £600,000 over five years. The fund was created in August 2009.

 

If you have an idea on how to improve your community, visit www.whitefriarshousing.co.uk to download a Community Pride application pack, or contact the Customer Involvement Team on to 024 7676 7088. The deadline for applications is Monday, October 18, 2010.

 

Mossdale: Whitefriars Housing Group is encouraging community groups to apply for grants to benefit projects like the Mossdale Improvement Project, which is an ongoing project which covers environmental and physical improvements as well as community work with adults and younger residents, like Amie Mitchell, who have formed the Mossdale Rangers.

 

 

Notes to editors

Whitefriars Housing Group Limited is a not-for-profit housing and regeneration organisation established in 2000 that owns and manages approximately 18,000 homes across Coventry.

 

Whitefriars Housing Group is part of West Mercia Housing Group (WMHG), which is the lead partner of Spectrum Development Partnership.  WMHG consists of Whitefriars Housing Group, Harden Housing Association, Nexus Housing, Kemble Housing and Herefordshire Supported Housing for Young People Project.  The new combined group, which is a development partner with the Homes and Communities Agency, manages around 23,500 homes across Coventry, the West Midlands, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

 

Whitefriars has a key role, in partnership with others, across the West Midlands to develop new affordable homes and regenerate communities. 

 

Since transfer, Whitefriars has spent £340 million to repair and improve its housing stock.  The vast majority of its homes now meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard –ahead of schedule.  It is currently embarking on a campaign, Services on the Up, aimed at improving the core services received by residents.

 

In addition to providing homes, Whitefriars works in partnership with communities and other agencies to provide training and employment opportunities and support services for local residents, with the aim of building sustainable communities.

 

Whitefriars Housing Group Limited is a charitable industrial and provident society.

 

For further information please contact Lucy Beaumont or Nikki Cheung at The Bridge Group on

024 7656 0440 or l.beaumont@bridge-group.co.uk