Twelve Crawley community groups have received a total of £97,400 in grants from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The UKSPF aims to decrease the gap in healthy life expectancy and increase
opportunities between those in the most and least deprived areas in Crawley.
Funding is provided to support projects that boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards, improve public services, empower local leaders and communities, or restore a sense of community and local pride.
Crawley Borough Council secured £1 million from the UKSPF over three years to be spent in Bewbush, Broadfield and West Green. In 2023 to 2024, almost £100,000 has been given to these 12 recipients:
- Free Shop Crawley – £10,000 to continue with community coffee mornings, budgeting and debt support, mental health coaching and exercise opportunities, plus £5,772 to support engagement events to support people in financial difficulties at Christmas
- Crawley Community Action – £10,000 towards the cost of a Neighbourhood Volunteer Coordinator
- Creative Crawley – £10,000 for training and skills development workshops focussing on creative industries for young people and a showcase event in West Green
- LPK Learning – £9,000 for the delivery of wellbeing, anxiety and resilience programmes
- Ten Little Toes Baby Bank – £9,000 for support with essentials, the venue cost of a new hub in West Green and engagement with families in the three neighbourhoods
- Rivers LPC – £8,500 to run a six-month campaign providing physical, mental and social support for women in Bewbush
- Christians Against Poverty – £8,000 to increase finance and debt support
- Citizens Advice West Sussex – £8,000 to fund weekly information hubs in the three neighbourhoods and training and development of local information champions
- Crawley Community Youth Service – £7,228 for the development of a weekly drop-in for young people in Broadfield
- Broadfield Community Centre – £5,900 for the annual arts festival
- Dance Hub – £5,000 for the delivery of a YES (Youth Empowered by StreetDance) club
- Talk Broadfield – £1,000 for a spoken-word event targeted at people aged 13 to 21