Over the past few months, we’ve received some great applications to our Starting Blocks community funding stream. These applications are considered by our e-panel, which is made up of Red Kite tenant volunteers, who decide which projects they would like to support.
Here are some of the projects that have recently been approved, and awarded funding totalling more than £6,200:
Sling Library
No Perfect Parent Company CIC
A grant to help rebuild the No Perfect Parent Company's Community Sling Library in High Wycombe by purchasing a range of baby carriers. The library will give local families access to affordable babywearing equipment, advice and support through weekly community drop-in sessions. The project aims to support around 500 local families over 12 months.
Community events gazebo
Hearts & Souls
Funding towards a branded gazebo for the cardiac rehabilitation charity Hearts & Souls that they can use at local community events to raise awareness of cardiac rehabilitation and the support available to people recovering from cardiac events.
Table tennis for fun and fitness
Micklefield Community Association
A grant towards new table tennis tables and equipment to expand the sessions already taking place at Micklefield Community Centre. The project aims to encourage people of all ages to be active, meet others and improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
Wilding Women
Chiltern Rangers
A grant for a women-only conservation programme run by Chiltern Rangers providing a safe and welcoming outdoor environment for women who may be isolated, lack confidence or experience anxiety. The sessions will help women connect with others, improve their wellbeing, learn new skills and potentially progress into further volunteering opportunities.
Once an organisation receives its funding, feedback is an important part of the process. It helps us make sure that the project has taken place, the funding has been spent on what it was awarded for and, most importantly, that it has made a difference.
Feedback can be provided in different ways. Sometimes our tenant volunteers visit a project to see a session or activity taking place and speak to the people who have benefited. At other times, the organisation completes our grant evaluation form, telling us what they delivered, how many people took part, what difference the project made and how the funding was spent.
This feedback gives our tenant volunteers the opportunity to see what happened as a result of the funding decisions they made and helps us understand the difference Starting Blocks funding is making in our communities.
Interested in joining our Starting Blocks e-Panel? Simply fill in our volunteering form, selecting the Starting Blocks e-Panel option, and we'll get back to you soon.
