Residents in Lancashire will soon get the chance to bid for a share of £500,000 towards community projects through a new fund set up to help improve neighbourhoods across the North West and East Midlands.
To mark its first anniversary on 3 April 2019, Jigsaw Homes Group will launch its new Jigsaw Foundation fund which also allows tenants to vote on where they would like some of the money to be spent.
Jigsaw, which owns c34,000 homes, is encouraging bids from a range of different applicants across it communities including local or charity projects, resident groups, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and partner agencies.
Jigsaw Homes Group formed on 3 April 2018 following the merger of New Charter Group and Adactus Housing Group and Jigsaw Foundation replaces neighbourhood funds run by the two former organisations.
Heartbeat North West Cardiac Care
Projects to benefit from community funding in the past include Preston-based cardiac rehabilitation charity Heartbeat which provides services for around 900 people each week to help prevent cardiovascular disease in communities across the North West.
Funding has helped the charity to buy new equipment for exercise classes in Chorley which are attended by around 180 people per week.
Other projects to receive funding include local theatres, school workshops, sports activities, dementia cafes, social enterprise start-ups and work clubs.
Applications to Jigsaw Foundation must demonstrate that their projects make a difference to people’s lives and communities either by improving health, wellbeing and loneliness, employment or training, the environment, financial and digital inclusion or supporting people to sustain their tenancies. (Full criteria here).
Tenants who have registered to the landlord’s Jigsaw Rewards tenant feedback system will be surveyed on applications of up to £25,000. Bids in excess of this will be decided on by Jigsaw’s executive team.
£50,000 from the Jigsaw Foundation programme has also been set aside a special ‘hardship fund’ to support people in immediate financial difficulty with applications made via internal and agency referrals only.
Emma Wilson, Group Director of Neighbourhoods at Jigsaw Homes Group said: “Jigsaw Foundation confirms our continued investment in all our communities and we look forward to launching this fund on our upcoming first birthday to support projects close to people’s hearts that have a positive impact in our neighbourhoods.”
Applications open on Jigsaw’s first anniversary on 3 April 2019. Application forms can be downloaded in advance of the launch date here but entries must not be submitted before 3 April.
For a paper copy, please contact 0161 331 2000.
