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Grants awarded in 2025 and 2024

Click on the dropdown arrow to see the grants awarded in each area of Gloucestershire in the past two years.

2025

The Keepers - Wotton Area Community Hub - £7,450

The Keepers is a Community Hub and we want our communities to be resilient, connected and supported. Our priority objectives are: 1. Reduce social isolation & loneliness 2. Provide support for all caregivers 3. Meeting people’s basic needs 4. Enable strong community connections. The funding will support our Community Kitchen project and Wellbeing Garden.

GL11 Community Project - £7,500

GL11 Community Hub works with people of all ages. We provide of daily support services and activities, within a safe and inclusive space, for local residents who are lonely or socially isolated, facing disability or discrimination, lack family help, are dealing with trauma and anxiety, or have short or long-term difficulties in life, reducing the health inequalities gap for these disadvantaged groups. The funding will be used to support a Project Worker to deliver the weekly ‘Feet, Food & Friendship’ activity group and ‘Community Lunch’ at GL11 Community Hub.

Five Valley Sounds - Stroud’s Talking Newspaper - £1,530

Five Valley’s Sounds is Stroud’s Talking Newspaper for the blind and partially sighted listeners in the Stroud District. Each week we edit and record stories from the ‘Stroud News and Journal’ to keep our visually impaired listeners in touch with their local community. This grant would contribute towards our running costs and help us maintain our existing service.

Crossroads Care Gloucestershire - £7,500

We will use the Thriving Communities Grant money to expand our Azalea Day Club. Azalea Day Clubs are fully inclusive, activity-based clubs which enable us to offer disabled people and adults with any health condition greater choice of opportunity in their local community and helping to ensure that people are not lonely and isolated.

Cashes Green Community Hub - £7,500

This funding will help contribute to core staff costs involved in running our Community Hub. This will help enable us to continue the ongoing running of all of our Community Hub activities.  The main aim of our community hub is to help people to increase independence, self-reliance, connecting people to their communities, and reduce isolation. The range of activities, events, outreach services, and community support we provide from The Hub really has helped to bring the people who live in and around Cashes Green together. The ‘Community Hub’ provision is really bringing back a sense of community and belonging to the area and to those people who access the centre. 

Stroud Valleys Project - £7,500

Our Wild Shed project is a well-attended mixed group that includes adults with mental health issues, people with disabilities, and people living with addictions. This grant will enable us to run a group one day a week for a year, focusing on wellbeing and building connections for our participants. The aim of the project is to engage people in teamwork and support them to live more active, engaged and independent lives, in harmony with our surrounding environment and with the community.

Creative Sustainability CIC - £7,500

Our project focuses on supporting vulnerable adults, particularly those who are elderly, have disabilities, additional needs, or mental health challenges, by teaching them how to stay safe online. Digital inclusion provides access to vital services and resources, but many vulnerable people lack the confidence or knowledge to navigate the online world securely.

Marah Trust - £7,500

Our charity reaches out to vulnerable and disadvantaged people living on the margins of society.  We provide a drop-in service four times a week offering a hot meal, food to take home and access to advice and support. Our aim is to address hunger and social exclusion; improving the health and well-being of those who come to us.

Longfield Hospice Care - £7,500

We are seeking funding towards the direct delivery cost of the of ongoing group programmes of care and support for physical and mental wellbeing at our Wellbeing Centre. We help patients and family carers to increase independence, self-reliance and resilience through information and advice, advocacy and direct support.

The Keepers - Wotton Area Community Hub - £7,450

The Keepers is a Community Hub and we want our communities to be resilient, connected and supported. Our priority objectives are: 1. Reduce social isolation & loneliness 2. Provide support for all caregivers 3. Meeting people’s basic needs 4. Enable strong community connections. The funding will support our Community Kitchen project and Wellbeing Garden.

GL11 Community Project - £7,500

GL11 Community Hub works with people of all ages. We provide of daily support services and activities, within a safe and inclusive space, for local residents who are lonely or socially isolated, facing disability or discrimination, lack family help, are dealing with trauma and anxiety, or have short or long-term difficulties in life, reducing the health inequalities gap for these disadvantaged groups. The funding will be used to support a Project Worker to deliver the weekly ‘Feet, Food & Friendship’ activity group and ‘Community Lunch’ at GL11 Community Hub.

Five Valley Sounds - Stroud’s Talking Newspaper - £1,530

Five Valley’s Sounds is Stroud’s Talking Newspaper for the blind and partially sighted listeners in the Stroud District. Each week we edit and record stories from the ‘Stroud News and Journal’ to keep our visually impaired listeners in touch with their local community. This grant would contribute towards our running costs and help us maintain our existing service.

Crossroads Care Gloucestershire - £7,500

We will use the Thriving Communities Grant money to expand our Azalea Day Club. Azalea Day Clubs are fully inclusive, activity-based clubs which enable us to offer disabled people and adults with any health condition greater choice of opportunity in their local community and helping to ensure that people are not lonely and isolated.

Cashes Green Community Hub - £7,500

This funding will help contribute to core staff costs involved in running our Community Hub. This will help enable us to continue the ongoing running of all of our Community Hub activities.  The main aim of our community hub is to help people to increase independence, self-reliance, connecting people to their communities, and reduce isolation. The range of activities, events, outreach services, and community support we provide from The Hub really has helped to bring the people who live in and around Cashes Green together. The ‘Community Hub’ provision is really bringing back a sense of community and belonging to the area and to those people who access the centre. 

Stroud Valleys Project - £7,500

Our Wild Shed project is a well-attended mixed group that includes adults with mental health issues, people with disabilities, and people living with addictions. This grant will enable us to run a group one day a week for a year, focusing on wellbeing and building connections for our participants. The aim of the project is to engage people in teamwork and support them to live more active, engaged and independent lives, in harmony with our surrounding environment and with the community.

Creative Sustainability CIC - £7,500

Our project focuses on supporting vulnerable adults, particularly those who are elderly, have disabilities, additional needs, or mental health challenges, by teaching them how to stay safe online. Digital inclusion provides access to vital services and resources, but many vulnerable people lack the confidence or knowledge to navigate the online world securely.

Marah Trust - £7,500

Our charity reaches out to vulnerable and disadvantaged people living on the margins of society.  We provide a drop-in service four times a week offering a hot meal, food to take home and access to advice and support. Our aim is to address hunger and social exclusion; improving the health and well-being of those who come to us.

Longfield Hospice Care - £7,500

We are seeking funding towards the direct delivery cost of the of ongoing group programmes of care and support for physical and mental wellbeing at our Wellbeing Centre. We help patients and family carers to increase independence, self-reliance and resilience through information and advice, advocacy and direct support.

The Churn Project Ltd - £7,500.00

We plan to expand The Churn’s Ageing Well programme for people over 60 in and around Cirencester. We aim that all older residents have the opportunity for social contact and meaningful activities for as long as possible.

 Avening Community Café - £1,000.00

Avening Community Cafe provides a meeting place for all villagers, but especially bereaved men and women, new people to the village, and people who are on their own or reluctant to meet new people or go out on their own. The Avening Social Club providing a meeting place for everyone to talk to others and participate in activities, while enjoying teas, coffees and cakes.

Cirencester & District Mental Health Carer Support Group - £2,815.00

The Cirencester & District Carer Support Group is a community voluntary organisation that was formed to connect with people caring for someone of working age diagnosed with an ongoing enduring mental illness. We hold monthly meetings with invited speakers from local mental health services and relevant organisations. Meetings always include time to socialise and share experiences.

Fairford and Lechlade areas Working for Wellbeing - £7,500.00

We are a community organisation, working to improve the wellbeing of people in this rural area. We work to reduce loneliness and social isolation, particularly among the elderly, connecting people to community activities, bringing people together, promoting healthy lifestyles, making outside help accessible when needed and enabling people to keep well and active, increasing independence and self-reliance.

Dementia Friendly North Cotswolds - £1,055.00

We organise and run two Dementia Cafes in Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. These groups are for anyone with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers to attend. We aim to give people a safe space where they can enjoy talking to others with dementia as well as doing a range of activities.

Cotswolds Friends - Carer Wellbeing Service - £7,500.00

Cotswold Friends’ Carer Wellbeing Service offers crucial regular breaks for full-time carers, enabling them to maintain their own health and wellbeing while continuing to care for others. Our volunteers provide weekly respite breaks for full-time carers, which are essential for their wellbeing.

Cotswolds Friends - Community Activities Programme - £7,500.00

The Community Activities Programme provides the much-needed social contact and community connection that older and vulnerable people can so often need. This gives the community connection, confidence and the support people need to continue living independently in their own home.

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC) - £7,500.00

This new project, Connecting Communities-North Cotswolds, focuses on reducing social isolation and loneliness and increasing mental health and wellbeing in the North Cotswolds.  This project will allow individuals to stay independent and in their own homes for as long as possible as they will have access to a physical and virtual digital space where they can receive help and support and be part of a social network locally. 

Citizens Advice Stroud and Cotswold - £7,500.00

We are a registered charity that gives residents of the Stroud and Cotswold Districts free, independent, impartial and confidential advice and information. Our advice empowers people to tackle the problems that they are facing, and this grant will be used to help contribute to our core costs.

Tetbury Area Youth and Community Trust - £4,595.00

A consistent theme across our projects is to enable community and reduce the impact and experience of loneliness and isolation, whether physical, emotional, situational etc. Our goal is to enhance the overall well-being of our community by promoting a sense of belonging and friendship. The Friendship Cafe is supported by a group of dedicated and caring volunteers. It is also an opportunity for signposting and connecting people with local services. Many attendees of the Friendship Cafe are older, experience isolation and loneliness, may be vulnerable adults, and have experience of hardship.

The Churn Project Ltd - £7,500.00

We plan to expand The Churn’s Ageing Well programme for people over 60 in and around Cirencester. We aim that all older residents have the opportunity for social contact and meaningful activities for as long as possible.

 Avening Community Café - £1,000.00

Avening Community Cafe provides a meeting place for all villagers, but especially bereaved men and women, new people to the village, and people who are on their own or reluctant to meet new people or go out on their own. The Avening Social Club providing a meeting place for everyone to talk to others and participate in activities, while enjoying teas, coffees and cakes.

Cirencester & District Mental Health Carer Support Group - £2,815.00

The Cirencester & District Carer Support Group is a community voluntary organisation that was formed to connect with people caring for someone of working age diagnosed with an ongoing enduring mental illness. We hold monthly meetings with invited speakers from local mental health services and relevant organisations. Meetings always include time to socialise and share experiences.

Fairford and Lechlade areas Working for Wellbeing - £7,500.00

We are a community organisation, working to improve the wellbeing of people in this rural area. We work to reduce loneliness and social isolation, particularly among the elderly, connecting people to community activities, bringing people together, promoting healthy lifestyles, making outside help accessible when needed and enabling people to keep well and active, increasing independence and self-reliance.

Dementia Friendly North Cotswolds - £1,055.00

We organise and run two Dementia Cafes in Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water. These groups are for anyone with a diagnosis of dementia and their carers to attend. We aim to give people a safe space where they can enjoy talking to others with dementia as well as doing a range of activities.

Cotswolds Friends - Carer Wellbeing Service - £7,500.00

Cotswold Friends’ Carer Wellbeing Service offers crucial regular breaks for full-time carers, enabling them to maintain their own health and wellbeing while continuing to care for others. Our volunteers provide weekly respite breaks for full-time carers, which are essential for their wellbeing.

Cotswolds Friends - Community Activities Programme - £7,500.00

The Community Activities Programme provides the much-needed social contact and community connection that older and vulnerable people can so often need. This gives the community connection, confidence and the support people need to continue living independently in their own home.

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC) - £7,500.00

This new project, Connecting Communities-North Cotswolds, focuses on reducing social isolation and loneliness and increasing mental health and wellbeing in the North Cotswolds.  This project will allow individuals to stay independent and in their own homes for as long as possible as they will have access to a physical and virtual digital space where they can receive help and support and be part of a social network locally. 

Citizens Advice Stroud and Cotswold - £7,500.00

We are a registered charity that gives residents of the Stroud and Cotswold Districts free, independent, impartial and confidential advice and information. Our advice empowers people to tackle the problems that they are facing, and this grant will be used to help contribute to our core costs.

Tetbury Area Youth and Community Trust - £4,595.00

A consistent theme across our projects is to enable community and reduce the impact and experience of loneliness and isolation, whether physical, emotional, situational etc. Our goal is to enhance the overall well-being of our community by promoting a sense of belonging and friendship. The Friendship Cafe is supported by a group of dedicated and caring volunteers. It is also an opportunity for signposting and connecting people with local services. Many attendees of the Friendship Cafe are older, experience isolation and loneliness, may be vulnerable adults, and have experience of hardship.

Caring for Communities and People – Mental Health Group - £500.00

We work with the NHS Mental Health Recovery Team in the local community which improves the mental health of patients and keeps them out of hospital. One of our projects is the Creative Well Being group. This happens once a month and is available for anyone in the community who suffers from mental health issues or are vulnerable as they strive for equality.

Lakeside Community Project - £2,000.00

Lakeside Community Project is a food pantry where households contribute £4 per visit (weekly or less) in return for grocery items including fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, ambient food, and washing/personal hygiene items. We will be purchasing a storage (shipping) container, which we will fit out and equip, which will enable us to provide a better service

Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre - £7,500.00

We will be using this grant towards our Housing Advice for Vulnerable People Project. The aim of the project is to provide specialist housing advice to the most vulnerable people in Cheltenham.

Cheltenham Mental Health Carer Support Group - £3,040.00

Cheltenham Mental Health Carer Support Group (CMHC) is a peer support group that aims to provide an opportunity for carers to share their experience of caring for a family member or friend who has a long term serious mental illness. We will be using this money to help towards the programme delivery costs.

West Cheltenham Partnership - Hesters Way Community Hub - £7,500.00

West Cheltenham Partnership is a charity which has supported strengthening communities in west Cheltenham for over 25 years. We will use funding to support a part time community development worker, to encourage, engage and befriend local people and to connect them to their communities and to reduce isolation.

St Michael’s Cornerstone Trust - £7,500.00

Cornerstone Centre is a vibrant community hub, adjacent to the distinctive St Michael’s Church in the Oakley ward of North Cheltenham. Our core objective is to provide a safe place to be, to make friends and learn new skills. We are open to everyone and have a particular focus on reaching vulnerable people on the margins of society.

Springbank Community Group - £7,500.00

Springbank Community Group provides a range of community focussed projects which aim to support our organisational objectives of, fighting food poverty, reducing social isolation and providing positive and meaningful activities for people of all ages within the community. We do his through our food pantry, our community café, the provision of direct support, social groups and a variety of other events.

YMCA Cheltenham - £7,500.00

Feed Cheltenham is an initiative operating within Cheltenham YMCA and its goal is to assist families with low incomes. The project has continued its mission throughout the Cost-of-Living Crisis, consistently aiding Cheltenham's food providers in their efforts to make affordable food accessible to those in need. Additionally, Feed Cheltenham engages with the community by referring those in need to appropriate services and offering one-on-one budgeting advice. This grant will be used to go towards the core costs for this project to continue.

Art for All Group - £7,500.00

Art for All is a constituted community group that delivers free varied art classes to adults with a mental health condition, from our purposed art room and accessible community space at Gas Green Youth and Community Centre in Cheltenham (GGYCC).

Men in Sheds Cheltenham & Gloucester - £7,500.00

The aim of Men in Sheds C&G is to promote social inclusion for the public benefit. We reduce social isolation by bringing members together on a regular basis to undertake creative activities on an individual or collective basis. In so doing, members benefit from improved physical and mental wellbeing and stay well for longer. As well as enabling members to enjoy greater independence and improved resilience, local charities, community groups and residential communities benefit from the many projects we undertake upon their behalf, thus enabling them to better achieve their own goals.

Caring for Communities and People – Mental Health Group - £500.00

We work with the NHS Mental Health Recovery Team in the local community which improves the mental health of patients and keeps them out of hospital. One of our projects is the Creative Well Being group. This happens once a month and is available for anyone in the community who suffers from mental health issues or are vulnerable as they strive for equality.

Lakeside Community Project - £2,000.00

Lakeside Community Project is a food pantry where households contribute £4 per visit (weekly or less) in return for grocery items including fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, ambient food, and washing/personal hygiene items. We will be purchasing a storage (shipping) container, which we will fit out and equip, which will enable us to provide a better service

Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre - £7,500.00

We will be using this grant towards our Housing Advice for Vulnerable People Project. The aim of the project is to provide specialist housing advice to the most vulnerable people in Cheltenham.

Cheltenham Mental Health Carer Support Group - £3,040.00

Cheltenham Mental Health Carer Support Group (CMHC) is a peer support group that aims to provide an opportunity for carers to share their experience of caring for a family member or friend who has a long term serious mental illness. We will be using this money to help towards the programme delivery costs.

West Cheltenham Partnership - Hesters Way Community Hub - £7,500.00

West Cheltenham Partnership is a charity which has supported strengthening communities in west Cheltenham for over 25 years. We will use funding to support a part time community development worker, to encourage, engage and befriend local people and to connect them to their communities and to reduce isolation.

St Michael’s Cornerstone Trust - £7,500.00

Cornerstone Centre is a vibrant community hub, adjacent to the distinctive St Michael’s Church in the Oakley ward of North Cheltenham. Our core objective is to provide a safe place to be, to make friends and learn new skills. We are open to everyone and have a particular focus on reaching vulnerable people on the margins of society.

Springbank Community Group - £7,500.00

Springbank Community Group provides a range of community focussed projects which aim to support our organisational objectives of, fighting food poverty, reducing social isolation and providing positive and meaningful activities for people of all ages within the community. We do his through our food pantry, our community café, the provision of direct support, social groups and a variety of other events.

YMCA Cheltenham - £7,500.00

Feed Cheltenham is an initiative operating within Cheltenham YMCA and its goal is to assist families with low incomes. The project has continued its mission throughout the Cost-of-Living Crisis, consistently aiding Cheltenham's food providers in their efforts to make affordable food accessible to those in need. Additionally, Feed Cheltenham engages with the community by referring those in need to appropriate services and offering one-on-one budgeting advice. This grant will be used to go towards the core costs for this project to continue.

Art for All Group - £7,500.00

Art for All is a constituted community group that delivers free varied art classes to adults with a mental health condition, from our purposed art room and accessible community space at Gas Green Youth and Community Centre in Cheltenham (GGYCC).

Men in Sheds Cheltenham & Gloucester - £7,500.00

The aim of Men in Sheds C&G is to promote social inclusion for the public benefit. We reduce social isolation by bringing members together on a regular basis to undertake creative activities on an individual or collective basis. In so doing, members benefit from improved physical and mental wellbeing and stay well for longer. As well as enabling members to enjoy greater independence and improved resilience, local charities, community groups and residential communities benefit from the many projects we undertake upon their behalf, thus enabling them to better achieve their own goals.

Priors Park Community Church - £5,000.00

The Compassion Café is designed to be a welcoming community hub in Priors Park, offering both social and nutritional support to residents. Our aim is to foster a stronger sense of community, alleviate social isolation, and promote overall wellbeing, particularly for individuals who may be experiencing loneliness, mental health challenges, or food insecurity.

Winchcombe Arts & Community Hub - £7,500.00

Winchcombe Arts & Community Hub is an arts and community venue The aim of our project is to help Isbourne Arts achieve its goal of being fully inclusive by making its facilities accessible to adults and community groups otherwise unable to afford to use them and to enable the charity to develop a programme of activities.

Age UK Gloucestershire - £7,485.91

The project aims of the gentle walking groups are to encourage inactive older people, those who do less than 30 minutes exercise per week, to join a group for a short walk and increase their activity levels with the opportunity to socialise in a comfortable and safe environment afterwards.

Guideposts Trust - £7,500.00

Through early-stage interventions, emotional wellbeing support and community partnerships, Guideposts CONNECT helps socially isolated older people re-engage with their communities, bolsters their independence, and slows onset of dementia. We provide low-intervention for isolated older adults and their carers (who often struggle with the emotional and physical demands of caregiving) gain respite and peer support. Each group combats loneliness, fosters community connections, and improves emotional and physical wellbeing for its participants. 

Art Shape - £7,500.00

The Create & Thrive course is a transformative programme designed to enhance the well-being and support the clinical health of residents in Bishops Cleeve. The course integrates creative arts as a therapeutic tool, offering participants the opportunity to explore various artistic skills while fostering a supportive community environment and reducing isolation.

Cleeve Common Trust - £4,187.89

This project will help adults to stay physically and mentally healthy by aiding them to access green space with fantastic far-reaching views. Connection with nature is proven to offer health benefits but can be difficult for people with mobility difficulties. Our project aims to help towards the mobility difficulties that come with visiting Cleeve Common.

 

 

Priors Park Community Church - £5,000.00

The Compassion Café is designed to be a welcoming community hub in Priors Park, offering both social and nutritional support to residents. Our aim is to foster a stronger sense of community, alleviate social isolation, and promote overall wellbeing, particularly for individuals who may be experiencing loneliness, mental health challenges, or food insecurity.

Winchcombe Arts & Community Hub - £7,500.00

Winchcombe Arts & Community Hub is an arts and community venue The aim of our project is to help Isbourne Arts achieve its goal of being fully inclusive by making its facilities accessible to adults and community groups otherwise unable to afford to use them and to enable the charity to develop a programme of activities.

Age UK Gloucestershire - £7,485.91

The project aims of the gentle walking groups are to encourage inactive older people, those who do less than 30 minutes exercise per week, to join a group for a short walk and increase their activity levels with the opportunity to socialise in a comfortable and safe environment afterwards.

Guideposts Trust - £7,500.00

Through early-stage interventions, emotional wellbeing support and community partnerships, Guideposts CONNECT helps socially isolated older people re-engage with their communities, bolsters their independence, and slows onset of dementia. We provide low-intervention for isolated older adults and their carers (who often struggle with the emotional and physical demands of caregiving) gain respite and peer support. Each group combats loneliness, fosters community connections, and improves emotional and physical wellbeing for its participants. 

Art Shape - £7,500.00

The Create & Thrive course is a transformative programme designed to enhance the well-being and support the clinical health of residents in Bishops Cleeve. The course integrates creative arts as a therapeutic tool, offering participants the opportunity to explore various artistic skills while fostering a supportive community environment and reducing isolation.

Cleeve Common Trust - £4,187.89

This project will help adults to stay physically and mentally healthy by aiding them to access green space with fantastic far-reaching views. Connection with nature is proven to offer health benefits but can be difficult for people with mobility difficulties. Our project aims to help towards the mobility difficulties that come with visiting Cleeve Common.

 

 

Forest Fighting Fit - £3,575.00

Forest Fighting Fit is a vital community resource that connects people, builds trust, and empowers individuals through its diverse range of fitness programs and supportive environment. By promoting independence, self-reliance, and resilience, the gym helps its members lead healthier, more connected lives. Through its innovative and inclusive approach, Forest Fighting Fit continues to make a positive impact on the community it serves, providing place-based activities.

Victoria Centre - £5,000.00

The Victoria Centre has been running for almost 50 years as a lunch club, we provide home cooked meals 3 days a week for the over 55’s and people with disabilities. The centre provides a welcoming environment, a warm space and a chance for people to meet with friends and enjoy a two course freshly cooked meal. We also do coffee mornings, games, puzzles, crafts and reading matter are available together with music, bingo, a sing along many of the things that also provide stimulation.

Cinderford Area Neighbourhood Development Initiative - £7,500.00

The Cinderford Area Neighbourhood Development Initiative (CANDI) will use this funding to launch 2 Peer Support Mental Health Groups. The groups will create a safe, supportive space for adults to share experiences and connect with others and reduce isolation. By offering two groups we can be flexible about meeting times and age groups. Our aims are to reduce social isolation and encourage community engagement. 

Forest Voluntary Action Forum - £7,500.00

The primary aim of our project is to create a unified and resilient community by fostering connections between new and existing residents. Growing Together is a community-building project, designed to integrate new and existing residents of Lydney. This will help new residents connect with the local community, fostering social inclusion and promoting health and wellbeing

Newent Association for the Disabled - £5,000.00

Newent Association for the Disabled’s (NATD) mission is to ensure that quality of life is maintained – or increased – for disabled people who live in the very rural, Forest of Dean, and its surrounding areas. This grant will be used towards a care worker salary to help run our disabled and elderly day care centre, Sheppard House, on a Monday-Thursday in Newent.

Cinderford Artspace - £3,386.00

Cinderford Artspace will use funding to expand our successful Creative Community Morning trial to provide a regular calendar of Creative Community events. These events empower & provide ongoing support to adults in our community. This would include hard to reach adults, those within no/ low-income brackets adults with additional vulnerabilities, the isolated & those who need additional support to live well independently, improve wellbeing, & prevent poor mental health. 

Sedbury Space - £5,000.00

The Get Well and Keep Well project aims to provide targeted support activities at Sedbury Space which aims to reduce isolation, help adults to improve their mental and physical health, and stay well, through consultation with individuals and agencies referred through our Wellbeing partnerships. Sedbury Space’s outreach project helps identify adults in partnership which other agencies and provide the means for individuals to stay well through intervention before crisis. 

The Forest of Dean Dementia Action Alliance - £7,500.00

Our Music Memory Cafés are open to people living with dementia, caregivers, families, and the wider community. The Cafes provide a safe space for socialising, reducing the feelings of loneliness that many experience. Singing together fosters a sense of unity and connection among participants.

The Shop at Bromsberrow - £3,750.00

The Shop at Bromsberrow is not only a village shop, but also a community hub. It is the only venue in the village where people can meet and socialise. From our small kitchen we cook and serve community lunches every fortnight, serving up to 40 meals at a time. Many of our volunteers are elderly, but they relish the opportunity that the shop gives them to meet people and feel that they are making a positive contribution to the community. We will use the funding to increase the working hours of our part time manager.

Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Men's Shed - £3,750.00

The Forest Community Shed supports social inclusion, community well-being, and skill development by offering workshops and activities that cater to a diverse range of individuals. We provide a welcoming and accessible space for people of all ages and backgrounds. Through creative, hands-on projects, participants can share skills, develop new ones, and engage in meaningful social interactions that foster both mental and physical well-being. Expanding the Workshop Coordinator role will allow us to better manage the growing demand for our services. The workshop coordinator focuses on the health and well-being of all members, ensuring that they receive the support they need and that the workshops are safely and effectively supervised.

Great Oaks Hospice - £5,000.00

Great Oaks Wellbeing and Counselling & Bereavement Services support families, carers and friends, before or after the death of such persons and provide a range of adult bereavement services for any adult who has been bereaved through any cause. Through our regular coffee mornings, drop-in sessions, bereavement cafes and walking groups we aim to reduce the isolation of those who have been bereaved and empower them to connect within their local community and the wider Forest community. This funding will be used to support the continued expansion of the counselling and bereavement support service.

Crossroads Gloucestershire - £7,500.00

Crossroads wish is to support a community by providing ready access to quality support services that meet individual requirements. We offer support to those who are in need by reason of frailty, lack of means, ill-health or disability and their carers, to lead safer and healthier lives. We are seeking funding to assist with the start-up of two new groups (1. Parkinsons Groups 2. Stroke groups) which will become part of our Active Living Services. Funding will allow us to provide a monthly meeting in three different locations in the Forest of Dean.

Forest Fighting Fit - £3,575.00

Forest Fighting Fit is a vital community resource that connects people, builds trust, and empowers individuals through its diverse range of fitness programs and supportive environment. By promoting independence, self-reliance, and resilience, the gym helps its members lead healthier, more connected lives. Through its innovative and inclusive approach, Forest Fighting Fit continues to make a positive impact on the community it serves, providing place-based activities.

Victoria Centre - £5,000.00

The Victoria Centre has been running for almost 50 years as a lunch club, we provide home cooked meals 3 days a week for the over 55’s and people with disabilities. The centre provides a welcoming environment, a warm space and a chance for people to meet with friends and enjoy a two course freshly cooked meal. We also do coffee mornings, games, puzzles, crafts and reading matter are available together with music, bingo, a sing along many of the things that also provide stimulation.

Cinderford Area Neighbourhood Development Initiative - £7,500.00

The Cinderford Area Neighbourhood Development Initiative (CANDI) will use this funding to launch 2 Peer Support Mental Health Groups. The groups will create a safe, supportive space for adults to share experiences and connect with others and reduce isolation. By offering two groups we can be flexible about meeting times and age groups. Our aims are to reduce social isolation and encourage community engagement. 

Forest Voluntary Action Forum - £7,500.00

The primary aim of our project is to create a unified and resilient community by fostering connections between new and existing residents. Growing Together is a community-building project, designed to integrate new and existing residents of Lydney. This will help new residents connect with the local community, fostering social inclusion and promoting health and wellbeing

Newent Association for the Disabled - £5,000.00

Newent Association for the Disabled’s (NATD) mission is to ensure that quality of life is maintained – or increased – for disabled people who live in the very rural, Forest of Dean, and its surrounding areas. This grant will be used towards a care worker salary to help run our disabled and elderly day care centre, Sheppard House, on a Monday-Thursday in Newent.

Cinderford Artspace - £3,386.00

Cinderford Artspace will use funding to expand our successful Creative Community Morning trial to provide a regular calendar of Creative Community events. These events empower & provide ongoing support to adults in our community. This would include hard to reach adults, those within no/ low-income brackets adults with additional vulnerabilities, the isolated & those who need additional support to live well independently, improve wellbeing, & prevent poor mental health. 

Sedbury Space - £5,000.00

The Get Well and Keep Well project aims to provide targeted support activities at Sedbury Space which aims to reduce isolation, help adults to improve their mental and physical health, and stay well, through consultation with individuals and agencies referred through our Wellbeing partnerships. Sedbury Space’s outreach project helps identify adults in partnership which other agencies and provide the means for individuals to stay well through intervention before crisis. 

The Forest of Dean Dementia Action Alliance - £7,500.00

Our Music Memory Cafés are open to people living with dementia, caregivers, families, and the wider community. The Cafes provide a safe space for socialising, reducing the feelings of loneliness that many experience. Singing together fosters a sense of unity and connection among participants.

The Shop at Bromsberrow - £3,750.00

The Shop at Bromsberrow is not only a village shop, but also a community hub. It is the only venue in the village where people can meet and socialise. From our small kitchen we cook and serve community lunches every fortnight, serving up to 40 meals at a time. Many of our volunteers are elderly, but they relish the opportunity that the shop gives them to meet people and feel that they are making a positive contribution to the community. We will use the funding to increase the working hours of our part time manager.

Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Men's Shed - £3,750.00

The Forest Community Shed supports social inclusion, community well-being, and skill development by offering workshops and activities that cater to a diverse range of individuals. We provide a welcoming and accessible space for people of all ages and backgrounds. Through creative, hands-on projects, participants can share skills, develop new ones, and engage in meaningful social interactions that foster both mental and physical well-being. Expanding the Workshop Coordinator role will allow us to better manage the growing demand for our services. The workshop coordinator focuses on the health and well-being of all members, ensuring that they receive the support they need and that the workshops are safely and effectively supervised.

Great Oaks Hospice - £5,000.00

Great Oaks Wellbeing and Counselling & Bereavement Services support families, carers and friends, before or after the death of such persons and provide a range of adult bereavement services for any adult who has been bereaved through any cause. Through our regular coffee mornings, drop-in sessions, bereavement cafes and walking groups we aim to reduce the isolation of those who have been bereaved and empower them to connect within their local community and the wider Forest community. This funding will be used to support the continued expansion of the counselling and bereavement support service.

Crossroads Gloucestershire - £7,500.00

Crossroads wish is to support a community by providing ready access to quality support services that meet individual requirements. We offer support to those who are in need by reason of frailty, lack of means, ill-health or disability and their carers, to lead safer and healthier lives. We are seeking funding to assist with the start-up of two new groups (1. Parkinsons Groups 2. Stroke groups) which will become part of our Active Living Services. Funding will allow us to provide a monthly meeting in three different locations in the Forest of Dean.

Gloucestershire Academy of Music - £7,500.00

Our weekly choir sessions provide a safe, supportive environment where people living with dementia can engage socially and creatively through music The power of music fosters emotional connection and helps build positive social bonds, combating the isolation and loneliness that many people with dementia face. By strengthening ties within the choir and with the wider community, our choir members experience a sense of belonging and purpose that improves their overall wellbeing. We are seeking funding to expand our services by providing additional sessions, allowing us to reduce group sizes and offer a more tailored, person-centred approach.

The Wiggly Worm Ltd - £7,500.00

We work in our Gloucester kitchens with a wide range of adults who have experienced disadvantage in their lives. Our courses are designed to build peoples’ confidence and self-esteem as they learn new skills and to foster a sense of community connection. 

Abbeymead Rovers Football Club – Walking Football Pirates - £6,500.00

The PIRATES session is aimed at getting people living with a health condition out and about – get up get active.  We spend some time developing movement, coordination, balance etc whilst playing a non-contact fun sport. We spend time each session performing activities and drills which aim to improve confidence, balance, coordination and movement. We will use grant money to contribute to the facility hire costs.

Fair Shares Gloucestershire - £4,975.00

We aim to support individuals facing social isolation, health challenges, and poverty by offering ongoing, holistic support through a range of activities that promote social engagement, build resilience, and improve mental and physical wellbeing. We are seeking funding to reach older and vulnerable adults who may need additional support, providing them with weekly assistance and connecting them to the wider services of Fair Shares and other community organisations.

Friends of Hillfield Gardens - £500.00

The Friends of Hillfield Gardens is a volunteer Community group based in Kingsholm, Gloucester. The gardens are a very welcome green space within Kingsholm and are used regularly by people living in the community and those in local care homes. The green space offers the chance of quiet reflection, the space for exercise and the ability to enjoy the benefits of a garden. Funding will be used to update and improve the gardens, to restore to an area that can stimulate the senses and provide a place for quiet enjoyment of the outdoors.

The Friendship Café - £7,500.00

The Friendship Café Wellbeing and Mindfulness programme will benefit vulnerable people from a diverse range of cultures and faiths in the Barton and Tredworth community. It will offer a safe and trusted space where they can come once a week and meet up with others in their community whilst enjoying an engaging activity and experiencing nature.

Picturedrome Glos CIC - £7,500.00

We are a voluntary run organisation and our arts and community programme is led by artists and communities mainly from the most ethnically diverse areas in Gloucester where over 70 languages have been recorded. The Picturedrome has already become a friendly accessible centre where people and groups feel welcomed and at home. We have been focusing on key projects that are rooted in existing community initiatives via workshops, social meetings and a monthly programme of cinema, talks, coffee mornings, music sessions and exhibitions.

Ebony Community Carers Group - £7,500.00

We provide care for carers who look after sick, vulnerable and isolated adults, by allowing them to have time for themselves so that they can give full care to the people they look after and not risk their health and wellbeing. With funding we could pay for more classes to deliver structured sessions and help them to continue with their hobbies and social activities at the local community centre in Gloucester.

Elmbridge Together - £7,500.00

Elmbridge Together is a small community-development organisation, and this project connects mainly older local people to their community by providing a weekly warm-welcome space and related activities. This reduces social isolation and enables residents to better meet their own needs.

Gloucester Community Networking - £2,780.10

We are seeking funding to continue 2 x monthly groups held in Churchdown whilst welcoming people from the wider area.

1.      Wellbeing Matters

2.      Churchdown Forces Hub

These groups will support local residents, which includes: unemployed, over 50s, disabilities, those impacted from a range of mental ill-health conditions, isolation and disadvantage through Military Service.

Gloucestershire Academy of Music - £7,500.00

Our weekly choir sessions provide a safe, supportive environment where people living with dementia can engage socially and creatively through music The power of music fosters emotional connection and helps build positive social bonds, combating the isolation and loneliness that many people with dementia face. By strengthening ties within the choir and with the wider community, our choir members experience a sense of belonging and purpose that improves their overall wellbeing. We are seeking funding to expand our services by providing additional sessions, allowing us to reduce group sizes and offer a more tailored, person-centred approach.

The Wiggly Worm Ltd - £7,500.00

We work in our Gloucester kitchens with a wide range of adults who have experienced disadvantage in their lives. Our courses are designed to build peoples’ confidence and self-esteem as they learn new skills and to foster a sense of community connection. 

Abbeymead Rovers Football Club – Walking Football Pirates - £6,500.00

The PIRATES session is aimed at getting people living with a health condition out and about – get up get active.  We spend some time developing movement, coordination, balance etc whilst playing a non-contact fun sport. We spend time each session performing activities and drills which aim to improve confidence, balance, coordination and movement. We will use grant money to contribute to the facility hire costs.

Fair Shares Gloucestershire - £4,975.00

We aim to support individuals facing social isolation, health challenges, and poverty by offering ongoing, holistic support through a range of activities that promote social engagement, build resilience, and improve mental and physical wellbeing. We are seeking funding to reach older and vulnerable adults who may need additional support, providing them with weekly assistance and connecting them to the wider services of Fair Shares and other community organisations.

Friends of Hillfield Gardens - £500.00

The Friends of Hillfield Gardens is a volunteer Community group based in Kingsholm, Gloucester. The gardens are a very welcome green space within Kingsholm and are used regularly by people living in the community and those in local care homes. The green space offers the chance of quiet reflection, the space for exercise and the ability to enjoy the benefits of a garden. Funding will be used to update and improve the gardens, to restore to an area that can stimulate the senses and provide a place for quiet enjoyment of the outdoors.

The Friendship Café - £7,500.00

The Friendship Café Wellbeing and Mindfulness programme will benefit vulnerable people from a diverse range of cultures and faiths in the Barton and Tredworth community. It will offer a safe and trusted space where they can come once a week and meet up with others in their community whilst enjoying an engaging activity and experiencing nature.

Picturedrome Glos CIC - £7,500.00

We are a voluntary run organisation and our arts and community programme is led by artists and communities mainly from the most ethnically diverse areas in Gloucester where over 70 languages have been recorded. The Picturedrome has already become a friendly accessible centre where people and groups feel welcomed and at home. We have been focusing on key projects that are rooted in existing community initiatives via workshops, social meetings and a monthly programme of cinema, talks, coffee mornings, music sessions and exhibitions.

Ebony Community Carers Group - £7,500.00

We provide care for carers who look after sick, vulnerable and isolated adults, by allowing them to have time for themselves so that they can give full care to the people they look after and not risk their health and wellbeing. With funding we could pay for more classes to deliver structured sessions and help them to continue with their hobbies and social activities at the local community centre in Gloucester.

Elmbridge Together - £7,500.00

Elmbridge Together is a small community-development organisation, and this project connects mainly older local people to their community by providing a weekly warm-welcome space and related activities. This reduces social isolation and enables residents to better meet their own needs.

Gloucester Community Networking - £2,780.10

We are seeking funding to continue 2 x monthly groups held in Churchdown whilst welcoming people from the wider area.

1.      Wellbeing Matters

2.      Churchdown Forces Hub

These groups will support local residents, which includes: unemployed, over 50s, disabilities, those impacted from a range of mental ill-health conditions, isolation and disadvantage through Military Service.

Reconnect Gloucestershire CIC - £7,500.00

The Befriending Project provides peer support to individuals in Gloucestershire who are affected and isolated by long-term health conditions, including strokes and aphasia. The project's main goal is to empower these individuals to live well, reduce isolation, make informed choices, support their peers, and lead more fulfilling lives.

The ITSA Digital Trust - £7,500.00

The objective of the programme is bringing technology, digital participation and digital skills to those who need it most. Connecting people can be by improving access to digital hardware, such as computers and laptops or improving people’s digital skills.

Insight Gloucestershire - £7,500.00

We provide practical support assisting people to live independently in their own homes and also emotional support to people who are blind or partially sighted at our Gloucestershire Hubs. We are going to be using this funding to expand the number of information and guidance Hubs we have, aiming to ensure equal access to our Information, Advice and Guidance support and social groups.

Building Circles - £7,500.00

The Thriving Communities Grant will be used to support our Social Buddies Project. This project aims to help adults to stay emotionally and physically well by reducing social isolation. It also aims to develop community connections and social networks through matching adults with learning disabilities, with supportive companions with a shared interest and through social events. 

Community Connexions - £7,500.00

Community Connexions provides transport for housebound elderly, vulnerable and disabled people with poor mobility and no access to a car across Gloucestershire. Our transport is designed to specifically meet the needs of people in our communities by offering them safe and secure transport, with trained volunteers and driver support to give them the personalised attention they need.

Talk Club - £7,500.00

The Thriving Communities Grant Scheme will support Talk Club in growing our peer-to-peer talking and listening, exercising groups, and therapy groups in areas such as Cheltenham, Gloucester City, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury. These groups are aimed at increasing connection, reducing loneliness, and improving both physical and mental fitness in those who identify as male.

Mindsong - £7,500.00

Our aim is to tackle isolation, especially for people who do not yet have dementia, but we know that isolation and lack of stimulation is a common trigger. We get people participating group activities where people can sing solos, bring poems or recipes or suggest songs for the group. We are now looking to expand the Sing 2 Remember work again into areas where we’ve identified both need and health inequality. We will begin in Sheppard House, Newent in October and Matson early next year.. Sing 2 Remember groups are social, and community based, with supporting local volunteers and an experienced paid vocal leader.

Active Impact CIO - £6,320.00

This coproduced project is a collaborative network of welcome groups and individual mentoring pathways which provide vulnerable young adults (generally disabled young adults 18-30yrs, including neurodivergent young people and those with mental health conditions) with a social group from which to build connections into their local community. The aim of the project is to promote inclusive interdependence, resulting in increased wellbeing in disabled young adults and helping them develop community connections, social networks and building resilience

Cruse Bereavement Support, Gloucestershire - £7,461.00

The Thriving Communities Grant support will enable us to continue to provide free, early intervention bereavement support sessions for Gloucestershire residents. Our aims are to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of local adults who are struggling to cope with their grief after a significant loss.  

North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice - £7,500.00

The aim of the project is to address digital exclusion and at the same time ensure clients can access advice in their local community.  By offering advice sessions alongside our digital skills advice we are able to ensure people have access to the full range of support.

The Butterfly Garden - £7,475.00

We promote and support inclusive independence and wellbeing in adults, providing place-based activities. We are a free service for people of any age, dealing with a journey compromised by anything and on a daily basis we welcome people with everything from a learning disability to a mental health issue, including illness and physical disability. We have created a rich, diverse and sociable community and we strive to constantly improve our provision.   We are seeing ever increasing numbers and will use grant funding to extend our covered space.

Reconnect Gloucestershire CIC - £7,500.00

The Befriending Project provides peer support to individuals in Gloucestershire who are affected and isolated by long-term health conditions, including strokes and aphasia. The project's main goal is to empower these individuals to live well, reduce isolation, make informed choices, support their peers, and lead more fulfilling lives.

The ITSA Digital Trust - £7,500.00

The objective of the programme is bringing technology, digital participation and digital skills to those who need it most. Connecting people can be by improving access to digital hardware, such as computers and laptops or improving people’s digital skills.

Insight Gloucestershire - £7,500.00

We provide practical support assisting people to live independently in their own homes and also emotional support to people who are blind or partially sighted at our Gloucestershire Hubs. We are going to be using this funding to expand the number of information and guidance Hubs we have, aiming to ensure equal access to our Information, Advice and Guidance support and social groups.

Building Circles - £7,500.00

The Thriving Communities Grant will be used to support our Social Buddies Project. This project aims to help adults to stay emotionally and physically well by reducing social isolation. It also aims to develop community connections and social networks through matching adults with learning disabilities, with supportive companions with a shared interest and through social events. 

Community Connexions - £7,500.00

Community Connexions provides transport for housebound elderly, vulnerable and disabled people with poor mobility and no access to a car across Gloucestershire. Our transport is designed to specifically meet the needs of people in our communities by offering them safe and secure transport, with trained volunteers and driver support to give them the personalised attention they need.

Talk Club - £7,500.00

The Thriving Communities Grant Scheme will support Talk Club in growing our peer-to-peer talking and listening, exercising groups, and therapy groups in areas such as Cheltenham, Gloucester City, Cirencester, and Tewkesbury. These groups are aimed at increasing connection, reducing loneliness, and improving both physical and mental fitness in those who identify as male.

Mindsong - £7,500.00

Our aim is to tackle isolation, especially for people who do not yet have dementia, but we know that isolation and lack of stimulation is a common trigger. We get people participating group activities where people can sing solos, bring poems or recipes or suggest songs for the group. We are now looking to expand the Sing 2 Remember work again into areas where we’ve identified both need and health inequality. We will begin in Sheppard House, Newent in October and Matson early next year.. Sing 2 Remember groups are social, and community based, with supporting local volunteers and an experienced paid vocal leader.

Active Impact CIO - £6,320.00

This coproduced project is a collaborative network of welcome groups and individual mentoring pathways which provide vulnerable young adults (generally disabled young adults 18-30yrs, including neurodivergent young people and those with mental health conditions) with a social group from which to build connections into their local community. The aim of the project is to promote inclusive interdependence, resulting in increased wellbeing in disabled young adults and helping them develop community connections, social networks and building resilience

Cruse Bereavement Support, Gloucestershire - £7,461.00

The Thriving Communities Grant support will enable us to continue to provide free, early intervention bereavement support sessions for Gloucestershire residents. Our aims are to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of local adults who are struggling to cope with their grief after a significant loss.  

North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice - £7,500.00

The aim of the project is to address digital exclusion and at the same time ensure clients can access advice in their local community.  By offering advice sessions alongside our digital skills advice we are able to ensure people have access to the full range of support.

The Butterfly Garden - £7,475.00

We promote and support inclusive independence and wellbeing in adults, providing place-based activities. We are a free service for people of any age, dealing with a journey compromised by anything and on a daily basis we welcome people with everything from a learning disability to a mental health issue, including illness and physical disability. We have created a rich, diverse and sociable community and we strive to constantly improve our provision.   We are seeing ever increasing numbers and will use grant funding to extend our covered space.

2024

Reconnect Gloucestershire CIC - £7,500 

We would like to use this funding to support organisational core running costs as these have recently increased rapidly due to price rises and increased referrals into our services. We have a portfolio of services offering peer support to people of Gloucestershire impacted and isolated by long-term mental and physical health conditions, especially strokes and aphasia, and carers. We currently provide 2 community-based art groups, 1 art group in a stroke rehab unit in the Vale community hospital, an aphasia choir, online aphasia choir, online stroke group, 3 online creative wellbeing groups, and 4 in-person stroke and LTC support groups. We also provide support for carers at our groups as well as through home and telephone befriending services. We also provide home and telephone peer befriending, delivered by volunteers with lived experience of long-term health conditions.

GL11 Community Project - £7,495 

The funding will be used to support the existing Feet, Food and Friendship project, which provides heavily subsidised weekly chiropody for older people and a monthly hearing aid clinic brought in by Gloucestershire Deaf Association. 

Cashes Green Community Centre - £5,000 

Cashes Green Community Centre is a Community Hub providing services and support to members of the community and beyond where it provides an extensive range of accessible support services to the local community. This funding will support the Cashes Green Community Centre by funding vital team members involved in running the Community Hub.   

Marah Trust - £7,500 

Marah Trust is a local Christian charity that reaches out to vulnerable and disadvantaged people living on the margins of society.  The people who come to us suffer from hunger, poverty and social isolation.  Our aim is to address hunger and social exclusion; improving the health and well-being of those who come to us.  We provide good food and a welcoming community space four times a week. The grant funding will be used towards the general running costs needed to run the drop-in service. 

Dursley Tabernacle Community Food Hub - £7,500 

The community food hub is a project, which aims to provide essential food, hygiene and household items to families/individuals experiencing financial hardship. In addition, we offer hospitality, a listening ear and signposting where appropriate. We also deliver supermarket surplus fresh food parcels to those unable to access the hub. We would like to develop the hub further, enabling us to offer cookery courses, budgeting advice sessions and potentially a community cafe, using both volunteers and hopefully allowing current service users to gain work experience, by volunteering in the cafe. 

The Keepers - Wotton Area Community Hub - £7,473 

The funding will be used to support two projects, both of which are a continuation of our existing work but with the aim of expanding our services to a wider user group:  

1. Community Garden – This will support the continuation of this project, which will fund the wellbeing gardener to look after the community garden and run a weekly garden and chat group. Whilst it's an opportunity for everyone to learn and develop their gardening skills, and meet with new people, it's also a unique opportunity to share perspectives on gardening and the wider world which helps to increase empathy and community cohesion. 

2. Community Kitchen - Over the next 12 months we want to expand our frozen meals service to outlying rural communities for those households that would find it difficult to travel into Wotton-under Edge. We will be liaising with local community groups via our Outreach Officer and establishing how best we can facilitate that. 

Stroud Valleys Project - £7,500 

We will use this grant to develop our existing Wild Shed project. This popular group, which  

includes people with mental health issues, people with disabilities, and people living with  

addictions, is currently well attended. Taking part in the project will enhance people’s wellbeing, to connect them with others to reduce loneliness, and to increase their confidence. 

Wild Acres Community Project - £7,500 

Wild Acres Community Project CIC is a unique project involving all sections of the community in land-based activities, growing edible crops (vegetables and fruit) and sharing healthy meals together in our outdoor kitchen.  We run community days, currently, twice a week and at other times deliver activities for a range of groups, individuals and organisations in the local community. This funding will contribute to our organisational running costs, extension of our community days and partnership development. We want to expand our Community Days to three days per week during the growing season (April to September). This is to cater for the growing number of people using the project and to continue developing the site to its maximum potential as a community resource. Benefits of participation include improvements to physical and mental health and wellbeing.  Co producers (participants) have identified improved fitness levels and reductions in anxiety and depression. 

Creative Sustainability CIC - £5,000 

The Digital Inclusion Programme at Creative Sustainability has been successfully supporting people in their own homes, 1-2-1 to learn computer and digital skills. The main groups requiring support are older, isolated people, often with a health condition or disability which restricts their ability to connect with other sociably. The benefit of these people learning online is huge – first of all, we remove the barrier of having to attend a physical space, whilst improving their confidence, skills and social interaction. 

Building Circles - £7,500 

Establish a new community allotment for learning disabled adults working collaboratively with other members of the community living in and around Stonehouse. The site of the allotment will be in Stonehouse Town Centre.  The project aims to, bring opportunities for peer-to-peer friendships amongst the many Supported Living Facilities living in the Stroud District; Provide an independent space where people can spend time with others outside of paid staff and family members; Support people to grow produce to help with the cost-of-living crisis; Support our vision of a more inclusive community that fosters acceptance, equality, and opportunities where people with learning disabilities thrive. 

Longfield Hospice Care - £5,707 

At Longfield’s Wellbeing Centre we support patients with a life limiting diagnosis, for example Cancer, Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases, heart and other organ failure, respiratory disease such as COPD. We also support their families and carers, including in bereavement. The aim of the project is to support elements of our care which support the health and wellbeing of adults with a life limiting diagnosis, and of their family and carers so they may live well and care well. 

Citizens Advice Stroud and Cotswold Districts - £7,500 

We will use the grant funding towards our specialist benefits advice service. In addition, we want to start a project for families who have a child with a disability or long-term health condition. This is specialist work that advisers need specialist training in order to be competent and confident. We would look to build existing links with special schools and partner charities and develop new links whereby families can access benefits advice through our dedicated team. We will also offer training for front line workers from other organisations. Families will be able to maximise their income by accessing well trained, good quality, specialist benefits advice. 

Reconnect Gloucestershire CIC - £7,500 

We would like to use this funding to support organisational core running costs as these have recently increased rapidly due to price rises and increased referrals into our services. We have a portfolio of services offering peer support to people of Gloucestershire impacted and isolated by long-term mental and physical health conditions, especially strokes and aphasia, and carers. We currently provide 2 community-based art groups, 1 art group in a stroke rehab unit in the Vale community hospital, an aphasia choir, online aphasia choir, online stroke group, 3 online creative wellbeing groups, and 4 in-person stroke and LTC support groups. We also provide support for carers at our groups as well as through home and telephone befriending services. We also provide home and telephone peer befriending, delivered by volunteers with lived experience of long-term health conditions.

GL11 Community Project - £7,495 

The funding will be used to support the existing Feet, Food and Friendship project, which provides heavily subsidised weekly chiropody for older people and a monthly hearing aid clinic brought in by Gloucestershire Deaf Association. 

Cashes Green Community Centre - £5,000 

Cashes Green Community Centre is a Community Hub providing services and support to members of the community and beyond where it provides an extensive range of accessible support services to the local community. This funding will support the Cashes Green Community Centre by funding vital team members involved in running the Community Hub.   

Marah Trust - £7,500 

Marah Trust is a local Christian charity that reaches out to vulnerable and disadvantaged people living on the margins of society.  The people who come to us suffer from hunger, poverty and social isolation.  Our aim is to address hunger and social exclusion; improving the health and well-being of those who come to us.  We provide good food and a welcoming community space four times a week. The grant funding will be used towards the general running costs needed to run the drop-in service. 

Dursley Tabernacle Community Food Hub - £7,500 

The community food hub is a project, which aims to provide essential food, hygiene and household items to families/individuals experiencing financial hardship. In addition, we offer hospitality, a listening ear and signposting where appropriate. We also deliver supermarket surplus fresh food parcels to those unable to access the hub. We would like to develop the hub further, enabling us to offer cookery courses, budgeting advice sessions and potentially a community cafe, using both volunteers and hopefully allowing current service users to gain work experience, by volunteering in the cafe. 

The Keepers - Wotton Area Community Hub - £7,473 

The funding will be used to support two projects, both of which are a continuation of our existing work but with the aim of expanding our services to a wider user group:  

1. Community Garden – This will support the continuation of this project, which will fund the wellbeing gardener to look after the community garden and run a weekly garden and chat group. Whilst it's an opportunity for everyone to learn and develop their gardening skills, and meet with new people, it's also a unique opportunity to share perspectives on gardening and the wider world which helps to increase empathy and community cohesion. 

2. Community Kitchen - Over the next 12 months we want to expand our frozen meals service to outlying rural communities for those households that would find it difficult to travel into Wotton-under Edge. We will be liaising with local community groups via our Outreach Officer and establishing how best we can facilitate that. 

Stroud Valleys Project - £7,500 

We will use this grant to develop our existing Wild Shed project. This popular group, which  

includes people with mental health issues, people with disabilities, and people living with  

addictions, is currently well attended. Taking part in the project will enhance people’s wellbeing, to connect them with others to reduce loneliness, and to increase their confidence. 

Wild Acres Community Project - £7,500 

Wild Acres Community Project CIC is a unique project involving all sections of the community in land-based activities, growing edible crops (vegetables and fruit) and sharing healthy meals together in our outdoor kitchen.  We run community days, currently, twice a week and at other times deliver activities for a range of groups, individuals and organisations in the local community. This funding will contribute to our organisational running costs, extension of our community days and partnership development. We want to expand our Community Days to three days per week during the growing season (April to September). This is to cater for the growing number of people using the project and to continue developing the site to its maximum potential as a community resource. Benefits of participation include improvements to physical and mental health and wellbeing.  Co producers (participants) have identified improved fitness levels and reductions in anxiety and depression. 

Creative Sustainability CIC - £5,000 

The Digital Inclusion Programme at Creative Sustainability has been successfully supporting people in their own homes, 1-2-1 to learn computer and digital skills. The main groups requiring support are older, isolated people, often with a health condition or disability which restricts their ability to connect with other sociably. The benefit of these people learning online is huge – first of all, we remove the barrier of having to attend a physical space, whilst improving their confidence, skills and social interaction. 

Building Circles - £7,500 

Establish a new community allotment for learning disabled adults working collaboratively with other members of the community living in and around Stonehouse. The site of the allotment will be in Stonehouse Town Centre.  The project aims to, bring opportunities for peer-to-peer friendships amongst the many Supported Living Facilities living in the Stroud District; Provide an independent space where people can spend time with others outside of paid staff and family members; Support people to grow produce to help with the cost-of-living crisis; Support our vision of a more inclusive community that fosters acceptance, equality, and opportunities where people with learning disabilities thrive. 

Longfield Hospice Care - £5,707 

At Longfield’s Wellbeing Centre we support patients with a life limiting diagnosis, for example Cancer, Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases, heart and other organ failure, respiratory disease such as COPD. We also support their families and carers, including in bereavement. The aim of the project is to support elements of our care which support the health and wellbeing of adults with a life limiting diagnosis, and of their family and carers so they may live well and care well. 

Citizens Advice Stroud and Cotswold Districts - £7,500 

We will use the grant funding towards our specialist benefits advice service. In addition, we want to start a project for families who have a child with a disability or long-term health condition. This is specialist work that advisers need specialist training in order to be competent and confident. We would look to build existing links with special schools and partner charities and develop new links whereby families can access benefits advice through our dedicated team. We will also offer training for front line workers from other organisations. Families will be able to maximise their income by accessing well trained, good quality, specialist benefits advice. 

People For You £7,500.00 

Our charity, serving Fairford, Lechlade, Tetbury, and the surrounding villages, aims to address the pressing issue of loneliness and social isolation, particularly among the elderly in our local communities. The primary goal of this project is to strengthen our efforts in combating loneliness by expanding our services and reach. We aim to create meaningful connections between volunteers and elderly individuals in our communities, providing companionship, emotional support, and a sense of belonging. We match a local volunteer to visit a client, in their own home, on a regular basis, to provide friendship, a listening ear, and a link to the community, particularly for our housebound clients. These visits can empower our clients with new confidence to engage in other social activities.  Not only are we seeking funding to maintain the existing service, we wish also to expand the face-to-face befriending service where there is currently a growing waiting list. 

Cirencester Signpost £3,060.00 

Our core activities are concentrated on our vision of ‘embracing hope, creating community’ through the promotion of mental health and well-being across all ages.  We hold two weekly 'drop in' sessions, our Good Neighbour Hub on a Tuesday and our Well-being Café on a Saturday which are safe, inclusive spaces for people to connect offering a range of hot meals and drinks. To further strengthen our support for the most vulnerable in our community, our Good Neighbour Hub was set up last winter initially as a warm space to help mitigate some of the financial difficulties arising from the cost-of-living crisis. Our focus is firstly encouraging positive mental health through the benefits of engagement, being with others, making friends, having a laugh and going away feeling uplifted.    

Cirencester & District Mental Health Carer Support Group £850.00 

We are a group of unpaid carers caring for someone of working age who experiences severe, enduring mental health. The grant funding would enable the group to maintain and benefit from our regular programme of support meetings. We share with each other the everyday struggles of caring for a range of long-term illnesses: depression, bi- polar, schizophrenia, brain injury, personality disorder, self-harm along with substance abuse. Our monthly meetings comprise a balanced variety of activities, including mental health professionals and local community speakers. 

Cotswold Friends - The Community Activities Programme £7,500.00 

Cotswold Friends exists as a charity to deliver volunteer-led community services to older and vulnerable people to alleviate loneliness and isolation, improve health and wellbeing and support independent living.  The charity has been running successful community services since 1978.  Our vision is that no older or vulnerable person in the Cotswolds should be lonely or isolated and all of our services work towards this aim.   

The Community Activities Programme (CAP) is widespread and varied ranging from Lunch Clubs to Men in Shed projects. These activities provide the much-needed social contact and community connection that older and vulnerable people can so often need. Activities keep people active and provide vital peer support. 

Cotswold Friends - Carer Support Service £7,500.00 

Cotswold Friends exists as a charity to deliver volunteer-led community services to older and vulnerable people to alleviate loneliness and isolation, improve health and wellbeing and support independent living.  The charity has been running successful community services since 1978.  Our vision is that no older or vulnerable person in the Cotswolds should be lonely or isolated and all of our services work towards this aim.   

The Carer Support service provides weekly respite breaks to full-time carers. These breaks are critical to allow carers to care for themselves, so enabling them to continue in their caring role. By supporting carers, we not only keep them well but allow them to continue to look after someone else, so improving the quality of life of both people. 

People For You £7,500.00 

Our charity, serving Fairford, Lechlade, Tetbury, and the surrounding villages, aims to address the pressing issue of loneliness and social isolation, particularly among the elderly in our local communities. The primary goal of this project is to strengthen our efforts in combating loneliness by expanding our services and reach. We aim to create meaningful connections between volunteers and elderly individuals in our communities, providing companionship, emotional support, and a sense of belonging. We match a local volunteer to visit a client, in their own home, on a regular basis, to provide friendship, a listening ear, and a link to the community, particularly for our housebound clients. These visits can empower our clients with new confidence to engage in other social activities.  Not only are we seeking funding to maintain the existing service, we wish also to expand the face-to-face befriending service where there is currently a growing waiting list. 

Cirencester Signpost £3,060.00 

Our core activities are concentrated on our vision of ‘embracing hope, creating community’ through the promotion of mental health and well-being across all ages.  We hold two weekly 'drop in' sessions, our Good Neighbour Hub on a Tuesday and our Well-being Café on a Saturday which are safe, inclusive spaces for people to connect offering a range of hot meals and drinks. To further strengthen our support for the most vulnerable in our community, our Good Neighbour Hub was set up last winter initially as a warm space to help mitigate some of the financial difficulties arising from the cost-of-living crisis. Our focus is firstly encouraging positive mental health through the benefits of engagement, being with others, making friends, having a laugh and going away feeling uplifted.    

Cirencester & District Mental Health Carer Support Group £850.00 

We are a group of unpaid carers caring for someone of working age who experiences severe, enduring mental health. The grant funding would enable the group to maintain and benefit from our regular programme of support meetings. We share with each other the everyday struggles of caring for a range of long-term illnesses: depression, bi- polar, schizophrenia, brain injury, personality disorder, self-harm along with substance abuse. Our monthly meetings comprise a balanced variety of activities, including mental health professionals and local community speakers. 

Cotswold Friends - The Community Activities Programme £7,500.00 

Cotswold Friends exists as a charity to deliver volunteer-led community services to older and vulnerable people to alleviate loneliness and isolation, improve health and wellbeing and support independent living.  The charity has been running successful community services since 1978.  Our vision is that no older or vulnerable person in the Cotswolds should be lonely or isolated and all of our services work towards this aim.   

The Community Activities Programme (CAP) is widespread and varied ranging from Lunch Clubs to Men in Shed projects. These activities provide the much-needed social contact and community connection that older and vulnerable people can so often need. Activities keep people active and provide vital peer support. 

Cotswold Friends - Carer Support Service £7,500.00 

Cotswold Friends exists as a charity to deliver volunteer-led community services to older and vulnerable people to alleviate loneliness and isolation, improve health and wellbeing and support independent living.  The charity has been running successful community services since 1978.  Our vision is that no older or vulnerable person in the Cotswolds should be lonely or isolated and all of our services work towards this aim.   

The Carer Support service provides weekly respite breaks to full-time carers. These breaks are critical to allow carers to care for themselves, so enabling them to continue in their caring role. By supporting carers, we not only keep them well but allow them to continue to look after someone else, so improving the quality of life of both people. 

Crossroads Care Gloucestershire - Cheltenham £7,500.00 

Crossroads Care Gloucestershire (CCG) is a local charity, providing breaks to unpaid family carers across Gloucestershire for 42 years.  We do this by offering a range of services including breaks in the home and our unique Azalea Day Club model.  We are seeking funding to support the expansion of our Azalea Day Club service and open a new club Day Club in the Cheltenham area.  We currently have 5 established clubs in Cirencester, Gloucester and Lydney, with 72 people attending each week.  Most have family carers, so this is also providing a break to them too. 

Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre £7,500.00 

The aim of CHAC is to provide housing advice to the most vulnerable people in Cheltenham. This could be because they have mental health issues, have a disability or a long-term health condition. We help to house people, prevent their homelessness, and improve their housing conditions. We believe that housing people appropriately and helping make their house a home means that communities are more stable and safer as evictions are less likely to occur as people have a sense of belonging and can engage with their local communities. Each case we deal with is different, but every person and family that come seeks our assistance are offered not only information and advice, but a complete package of support to ensure that they do not reach the same crisis again. 

The Indian Association, Cheltenham £3,500.00 

To provide activities for all age groups of our members, have a warm and welcoming meeting place. It will make a huge difference to our community, Bringing people together socialising, celebrating and taking part in activities that are provided. 

Aspire Foundation - Cheltenham £7,500.00 

Aspire Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation founded to support families to ‘aspire and achieve’.  The funding would enable a continuation of an existing group which is established and well received by the community. The project delivery is in the Cheltenham Locality and the sessions will also bring people in the local communities together, providing an opportunity for relationship building and sharing experiences. Aspire Foundation will be able to continue to deliver services to Young Parents within Gloucestershire, promoting parent and child social interactions, reducing isolation, promotion of mental wellbeing and supporting healthy lifestyles. We have offered a safe space for families to seek support, share experiences, engage in Early Years activities, support child and parent health needs, signpost parent to other services and offer support at the early stages with the purpose of reducing escalation of need.  

Hesters Way Partnership £7,500.00 

West Cheltenham comprises one of the largest social housing estates in Gloucestershire and is an area of multiple deprivation. There are numerous individuals and families desperately struggling to balance their financial responsibilities. It is not unusual for people using the food pantry to also experience serious challenges in other areas of their lives which can hinder them from making progress and breaking the cycle. The West Cheltenham Pantry (WCP) attempts to address these issues by offering members a discounted top up food shop. WCP predominantly purchase food with grant funding, and public financial donations when available. Alongside this WCP also buy subscription Fare share produce and receive publicly donated food. Members have access to support services via signposting and the pantry directory.  

Springbank Community Group CIC £7,167.50 

Springbank Community Group CIC, based in Springbank, Cheltenham provide a range of community focussed projects which aim to support our organisational objectives of; fighting food poverty, reducing social isolation and providing positive and meaningful activities for people of all ages within the community. We do this through our food pantry, our community café, the provision of direct support, social groups, HAF (holiday activities and food) provision, and hosting information events and family fun days. 

Bethesda Methodist Church £7,500.00 

Creative Age is an arts-based, social community project for people with dementia and their carers who are living independently. It is a partnership project between Bethesda Methodist Church, Open Arms Artists’ Collective and Managing Memory Together. The project aims to connect and empower individuals, to enrich lives imaginatively, to build community as well as confidence, and enable people in similar situations to meet in a safe space and engage in meaningful activity. 

Cheltenham Mental Health Carers Support £650.00 

CMHC is a self-funded peer support group that aims to provide an opportunity for carers to share their experience of caring for a family member or friend who has a long term serious mental illness such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, complex emotional needs and self-harm.  The group provides an opportunity for carers to meet with others that understand the emotional impact of caring and have an empathy with the challenges and everyday struggles that carers face.  This peer support helps to reduce the stress and isolation that mental health carers experience. Through their involvement in the group, carers are able to develop friendships and gain peer support that extends beyond monthly meetings. 

Cheltenham Festivals £7,500.00 

Connections provides donated tickets to cultural events run by Cheltenham Festivals for individuals suffering from mental or physical health issues, who may face barriers in accessing cultural activities due to financial or other reasons, including local refugees and asylum seekers.  Experiencing and producing culture enables individuals, communities, and society to thrive. Cultural equity ensures that everyone can access the same opportunities without disadvantage. We believe that there is a proven link between cultural engagement and well-being, life expectancy, educational attainment, social opportunity, and prosperity. We know that attending cultural events can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Connections provides donated tickets through partnerships with the local social prescribing network at Caring for Communities and People (CCP) and Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees (CWR). 

The Isbourne Foundation £7,500.00 

The Isbourne Foundation’s Community Wellbeing Programme will use funding to continue to develop our services, with a particular emphasis on expanding our offering for members of the community living within deprived areas of Cheltenham for whom access to wellbeing provision is challenging.  

The ITSA Digital Trust (ITSA) - Gloucestershire TechConnect Community £7,500.00 

The objective of our TECH Connect Community Programme in Gloucestershire is bringing technology, digital participation and digital skills to those who need it most. Digital exclusion and isolation disproportionately affects vulnerable people, low income groups, the elderly and the more marginalised communities in our society and simultaneously increases social isolation, impacting detrimentally on health and wellbeing. We support community-based projects by donating good quality refurbished IT equipment, bringing technology, digital participation and digital skills to vulnerable and low-income communities in Gloucestershire in areas where digital deprivation is high. Recipients have been local charities, community centres, job clubs, schools, refugee groups, coding and youth clubs supporting marginalised and disabled groups. 

MEN IN SHEDS C&G £7,000.00 

Our Mission is to support older men from diverse backgrounds in maintaining their health and wellbeing. The name Men in Sheds is given to a group of more mature men who meet regularly in a workshop to bring a range of skills and ideas to many activities that can involve carpentry, community projects, repair and paint furniture and recycle things etc. Essentially working together in their own time and at their own pace enjoying being creative, in a place where one feels a degree of autonomy sharing ideas and new challenges, being creative has huge health benefits. We aim to open our third Shed in the area in order to accommodate rising member numbers. Evidence for this need is that we now have a waiting list to join the existing facility in Cheltenham, which we are using to its’ maximum capacity. As such, this project is an extension of our existing organisation. 

Cheltenham Powerchair Football Club £7,500.00 

Powerchair football is an adapted version of football using electric wheelchairs. Due to chairs costing between £5,000-10,000, so we provide chairs for participants to use when they join.  We deliver powerchair football sessions within the community at Chosen Hill school, delivering over 538 hours of inclusive powerchair football sessions and competitions, for participants of all ages, genders, and ability levels. Many of our participants have severe disabilities, so they are even excluded from most disability sports; this is the only invasion sport they can take part in. Many service users have life shortening conditions such as Muscular Dystrophy, and this makes the club even more important to them as they can forget their challenge of day-to-day life when enjoying the beautiful game. We have the philosophy that everyone should be able to participate in powerchair football, in whatever capacity suits.   

Crossroads Care Gloucestershire - Cheltenham £7,500.00 

Crossroads Care Gloucestershire (CCG) is a local charity, providing breaks to unpaid family carers across Gloucestershire for 42 years.  We do this by offering a range of services including breaks in the home and our unique Azalea Day Club model.  We are seeking funding to support the expansion of our Azalea Day Club service and open a new club Day Club in the Cheltenham area.  We currently have 5 established clubs in Cirencester, Gloucester and Lydney, with 72 people attending each week.  Most have family carers, so this is also providing a break to them too. 

Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre £7,500.00 

The aim of CHAC is to provide housing advice to the most vulnerable people in Cheltenham. This could be because they have mental health issues, have a disability or a long-term health condition. We help to house people, prevent their homelessness, and improve their housing conditions. We believe that housing people appropriately and helping make their house a home means that communities are more stable and safer as evictions are less likely to occur as people have a sense of belonging and can engage with their local communities. Each case we deal with is different, but every person and family that come seeks our assistance are offered not only information and advice, but a complete package of support to ensure that they do not reach the same crisis again. 

The Indian Association, Cheltenham £3,500.00 

To provide activities for all age groups of our members, have a warm and welcoming meeting place. It will make a huge difference to our community, Bringing people together socialising, celebrating and taking part in activities that are provided. 

Aspire Foundation - Cheltenham £7,500.00 

Aspire Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation founded to support families to ‘aspire and achieve’.  The funding would enable a continuation of an existing group which is established and well received by the community. The project delivery is in the Cheltenham Locality and the sessions will also bring people in the local communities together, providing an opportunity for relationship building and sharing experiences. Aspire Foundation will be able to continue to deliver services to Young Parents within Gloucestershire, promoting parent and child social interactions, reducing isolation, promotion of mental wellbeing and supporting healthy lifestyles. We have offered a safe space for families to seek support, share experiences, engage in Early Years activities, support child and parent health needs, signpost parent to other services and offer support at the early stages with the purpose of reducing escalation of need.  

Hesters Way Partnership £7,500.00 

West Cheltenham comprises one of the largest social housing estates in Gloucestershire and is an area of multiple deprivation. There are numerous individuals and families desperately struggling to balance their financial responsibilities. It is not unusual for people using the food pantry to also experience serious challenges in other areas of their lives which can hinder them from making progress and breaking the cycle. The West Cheltenham Pantry (WCP) attempts to address these issues by offering members a discounted top up food shop. WCP predominantly purchase food with grant funding, and public financial donations when available. Alongside this WCP also buy subscription Fare share produce and receive publicly donated food. Members have access to support services via signposting and the pantry directory.  

Springbank Community Group CIC £7,167.50 

Springbank Community Group CIC, based in Springbank, Cheltenham provide a range of community focussed projects which aim to support our organisational objectives of; fighting food poverty, reducing social isolation and providing positive and meaningful activities for people of all ages within the community. We do this through our food pantry, our community café, the provision of direct support, social groups, HAF (holiday activities and food) provision, and hosting information events and family fun days. 

Bethesda Methodist Church £7,500.00 

Creative Age is an arts-based, social community project for people with dementia and their carers who are living independently. It is a partnership project between Bethesda Methodist Church, Open Arms Artists’ Collective and Managing Memory Together. The project aims to connect and empower individuals, to enrich lives imaginatively, to build community as well as confidence, and enable people in similar situations to meet in a safe space and engage in meaningful activity. 

Cheltenham Mental Health Carers Support £650.00 

CMHC is a self-funded peer support group that aims to provide an opportunity for carers to share their experience of caring for a family member or friend who has a long term serious mental illness such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, complex emotional needs and self-harm.  The group provides an opportunity for carers to meet with others that understand the emotional impact of caring and have an empathy with the challenges and everyday struggles that carers face.  This peer support helps to reduce the stress and isolation that mental health carers experience. Through their involvement in the group, carers are able to develop friendships and gain peer support that extends beyond monthly meetings. 

Cheltenham Festivals £7,500.00 

Connections provides donated tickets to cultural events run by Cheltenham Festivals for individuals suffering from mental or physical health issues, who may face barriers in accessing cultural activities due to financial or other reasons, including local refugees and asylum seekers.  Experiencing and producing culture enables individuals, communities, and society to thrive. Cultural equity ensures that everyone can access the same opportunities without disadvantage. We believe that there is a proven link between cultural engagement and well-being, life expectancy, educational attainment, social opportunity, and prosperity. We know that attending cultural events can have a positive impact on health and wellbeing. Connections provides donated tickets through partnerships with the local social prescribing network at Caring for Communities and People (CCP) and Cheltenham Welcomes Refugees (CWR). 

The Isbourne Foundation £7,500.00 

The Isbourne Foundation’s Community Wellbeing Programme will use funding to continue to develop our services, with a particular emphasis on expanding our offering for members of the community living within deprived areas of Cheltenham for whom access to wellbeing provision is challenging.  

The ITSA Digital Trust (ITSA) - Gloucestershire TechConnect Community £7,500.00 

The objective of our TECH Connect Community Programme in Gloucestershire is bringing technology, digital participation and digital skills to those who need it most. Digital exclusion and isolation disproportionately affects vulnerable people, low income groups, the elderly and the more marginalised communities in our society and simultaneously increases social isolation, impacting detrimentally on health and wellbeing. We support community-based projects by donating good quality refurbished IT equipment, bringing technology, digital participation and digital skills to vulnerable and low-income communities in Gloucestershire in areas where digital deprivation is high. Recipients have been local charities, community centres, job clubs, schools, refugee groups, coding and youth clubs supporting marginalised and disabled groups. 

MEN IN SHEDS C&G £7,000.00 

Our Mission is to support older men from diverse backgrounds in maintaining their health and wellbeing. The name Men in Sheds is given to a group of more mature men who meet regularly in a workshop to bring a range of skills and ideas to many activities that can involve carpentry, community projects, repair and paint furniture and recycle things etc. Essentially working together in their own time and at their own pace enjoying being creative, in a place where one feels a degree of autonomy sharing ideas and new challenges, being creative has huge health benefits. We aim to open our third Shed in the area in order to accommodate rising member numbers. Evidence for this need is that we now have a waiting list to join the existing facility in Cheltenham, which we are using to its’ maximum capacity. As such, this project is an extension of our existing organisation. 

Cheltenham Powerchair Football Club £7,500.00 

Powerchair football is an adapted version of football using electric wheelchairs. Due to chairs costing between £5,000-10,000, so we provide chairs for participants to use when they join.  We deliver powerchair football sessions within the community at Chosen Hill school, delivering over 538 hours of inclusive powerchair football sessions and competitions, for participants of all ages, genders, and ability levels. Many of our participants have severe disabilities, so they are even excluded from most disability sports; this is the only invasion sport they can take part in. Many service users have life shortening conditions such as Muscular Dystrophy, and this makes the club even more important to them as they can forget their challenge of day-to-day life when enjoying the beautiful game. We have the philosophy that everyone should be able to participate in powerchair football, in whatever capacity suits.   

Priors Park Neighbourhood Project £7,500.00 

We are seeking funding to sustain and expand our Community Sheds project, which will run over the period 9th January 2024 to 20th December 2024. This initiative provides a vital haven for individuals dealing with mental health challenges, anxieties, low self-confidence, and social isolation. Our primary objective is to create a supportive and all-encompassing environment for the residents of the Tewkesbury South 2 community. Here, they can engage in creative activities, acquire essential skills, and foster a stronger sense of community and overall well-being. 

Age UK £7,492.00 

We are currently delivering 2 weekly “gentle social walking groups” for inactive older people in the Tewkesbury district, a current area of focus for Age UK Gloucestershire. The current delivery has been funded as a pilot project by Age UK National, one of only 5 pilots across the UK and funding for the pilots ends in January 2024. We are therefore seeking Thriving Communities support to continue these activities from January 2024. The project aims to encourage inactive older people, those who do less than 30 minutes exercise per week, to join a group for a short walk and increase their activity levels with the opportunity to socialise in a comfortable and safe environment afterwards. 

Shurdington Community Centre (SCC) £4,060.00 

The project is called Open Mondays and has grown out of the Warm Spaces initiative that started in Autumn ’22 and in which the Community Centre participated. The sessions proved so important for the people that used them that we decided to continue. Open Mondays provides a warm, welcoming, free to use for all gathering where you can have refreshments, read the newspaper, listen to music, chat to your Councillor, recharge devices and phones, use the book exchange, play table tennis, do a jigsaw and watch a film. Hot food is provided by our local cafe and a local retired chef. It became apparent that the project broke down isolation and helped people to relax and deal with their daily stresses. The act of eating together - and clearing up afterwards - is immensely valuable to those who may well frequently eat alone. The act of eating as a group seemed to become as valuable as the food itself. 

Aspire Foundation – Tewkesbury  £5,264.91 

Aspire Foundation and Dad Matters Gloucestershire are proposing a partnership to deliver services across the Cheltenham locality. Our delivery plan is to run 12 group sessions, once a month, in green spaces within the Cheltenham community. This initiative has proven to be highly effective in strengthening families and fostering positive outcomes, as demonstrated by feedback from participating fathers and the measurable impact on target demographic. In working in partnership, we are extending services to enable the whole family to access support, advice and the ability to socialise whilst also providing a further opportunity for fathers to enhance their well-being.   

Art Shape £7,490.50 

Art Shape have been approached to deliver arts and wellbeing sessions by the Cheltenham Peripheral Primary Care Network (PCN). The social prescribing team identified a need and a gap in provision for creative health community activities for adults and younger people with a range of ages who are experiencing low level mental health issues and/or social isolation.  This project presents a new opportunity to work in close collaboration with a social prescribing team in a specific locality.  A series of 5 tasters (2 hours in length) and two visual art courses (8 sessions of 2 hours each) will be on offer for individuals identified as socially isolated or experiencing low-level mental health issues such as anxiety in order to improve quality of life and increase opportunities for peer support. 

Tewkesbury Nature Reserve £7,500.00 

The aim of the ‘Out Of The Box’ (OOTB) project is to empower women to learn how to safely use wood working power tools and then utilise these skills to make resources useful on Tewkesbury Nature Reserve (TNR) - such as bird boxes, bat boxes, bug hotels hedgehog homes and compost bins. It is anticipated that the OOTB project will provide women with the confidence to use these new skills within their own homes to both create new wooden items of garden furniture and repair existing structures. The safe space provided by PPNP’s sustainable Community Sheds project and TNR itself would nurture positive mental health both individually and for the wider, local community. OOTB would help to build connections, inter-connectivity, friendships, skill sharing, whilst being productive by making practical items. 

The Roses Theatre £7,455.00 

Project Working Title: Trialling a Creative & Collaborative Support Network & Programme of Activities for those with Dementia and their carers in Tewkesbury. We are applying for the Thriving Communities Grant to be able to: 

  • Grow and Trial a creative and collaborative programme of activities for those with Dementia in Tewkesbury and their carers. 

  • Test social get-togethers for carers with refreshments and access to professionals who are working within the local Dementia Care teams. 

  • Forge stronger links between organisations, creatives, Dementia support services and medical practitioners to offer a more impact focused and cohesive programme. 

  • Offer credible and useful training to key staff & volunteers within the Dementia Support Alliance and volunteers who work across Tewkesbury to be able to spread a greater awareness of tangible ways people can help and to create a sustainable support network going forward. 

  • Raise awareness of the Dementia Support Alliance through events and campaigns. Such as ‘use our loo’ leaflets, greater social media presence, drop in advice and support for local businesses and collaborative & inclusive programme during Dementia Action Week, building on last year’s success. 

Priors Park Neighbourhood Project £7,500.00 

We are seeking funding to sustain and expand our Community Sheds project, which will run over the period 9th January 2024 to 20th December 2024. This initiative provides a vital haven for individuals dealing with mental health challenges, anxieties, low self-confidence, and social isolation. Our primary objective is to create a supportive and all-encompassing environment for the residents of the Tewkesbury South 2 community. Here, they can engage in creative activities, acquire essential skills, and foster a stronger sense of community and overall well-being. 

Age UK £7,492.00 

We are currently delivering 2 weekly “gentle social walking groups” for inactive older people in the Tewkesbury district, a current area of focus for Age UK Gloucestershire. The current delivery has been funded as a pilot project by Age UK National, one of only 5 pilots across the UK and funding for the pilots ends in January 2024. We are therefore seeking Thriving Communities support to continue these activities from January 2024. The project aims to encourage inactive older people, those who do less than 30 minutes exercise per week, to join a group for a short walk and increase their activity levels with the opportunity to socialise in a comfortable and safe environment afterwards. 

Shurdington Community Centre (SCC) £4,060.00 

The project is called Open Mondays and has grown out of the Warm Spaces initiative that started in Autumn ’22 and in which the Community Centre participated. The sessions proved so important for the people that used them that we decided to continue. Open Mondays provides a warm, welcoming, free to use for all gathering where you can have refreshments, read the newspaper, listen to music, chat to your Councillor, recharge devices and phones, use the book exchange, play table tennis, do a jigsaw and watch a film. Hot food is provided by our local cafe and a local retired chef. It became apparent that the project broke down isolation and helped people to relax and deal with their daily stresses. The act of eating together - and clearing up afterwards - is immensely valuable to those who may well frequently eat alone. The act of eating as a group seemed to become as valuable as the food itself. 

Aspire Foundation – Tewkesbury  £5,264.91 

Aspire Foundation and Dad Matters Gloucestershire are proposing a partnership to deliver services across the Cheltenham locality. Our delivery plan is to run 12 group sessions, once a month, in green spaces within the Cheltenham community. This initiative has proven to be highly effective in strengthening families and fostering positive outcomes, as demonstrated by feedback from participating fathers and the measurable impact on target demographic. In working in partnership, we are extending services to enable the whole family to access support, advice and the ability to socialise whilst also providing a further opportunity for fathers to enhance their well-being.   

Art Shape £7,490.50 

Art Shape have been approached to deliver arts and wellbeing sessions by the Cheltenham Peripheral Primary Care Network (PCN). The social prescribing team identified a need and a gap in provision for creative health community activities for adults and younger people with a range of ages who are experiencing low level mental health issues and/or social isolation.  This project presents a new opportunity to work in close collaboration with a social prescribing team in a specific locality.  A series of 5 tasters (2 hours in length) and two visual art courses (8 sessions of 2 hours each) will be on offer for individuals identified as socially isolated or experiencing low-level mental health issues such as anxiety in order to improve quality of life and increase opportunities for peer support. 

Tewkesbury Nature Reserve £7,500.00 

The aim of the ‘Out Of The Box’ (OOTB) project is to empower women to learn how to safely use wood working power tools and then utilise these skills to make resources useful on Tewkesbury Nature Reserve (TNR) - such as bird boxes, bat boxes, bug hotels hedgehog homes and compost bins. It is anticipated that the OOTB project will provide women with the confidence to use these new skills within their own homes to both create new wooden items of garden furniture and repair existing structures. The safe space provided by PPNP’s sustainable Community Sheds project and TNR itself would nurture positive mental health both individually and for the wider, local community. OOTB would help to build connections, inter-connectivity, friendships, skill sharing, whilst being productive by making practical items. 

The Roses Theatre £7,455.00 

Project Working Title: Trialling a Creative & Collaborative Support Network & Programme of Activities for those with Dementia and their carers in Tewkesbury. We are applying for the Thriving Communities Grant to be able to: 

  • Grow and Trial a creative and collaborative programme of activities for those with Dementia in Tewkesbury and their carers. 

  • Test social get-togethers for carers with refreshments and access to professionals who are working within the local Dementia Care teams. 

  • Forge stronger links between organisations, creatives, Dementia support services and medical practitioners to offer a more impact focused and cohesive programme. 

  • Offer credible and useful training to key staff & volunteers within the Dementia Support Alliance and volunteers who work across Tewkesbury to be able to spread a greater awareness of tangible ways people can help and to create a sustainable support network going forward. 

  • Raise awareness of the Dementia Support Alliance through events and campaigns. Such as ‘use our loo’ leaflets, greater social media presence, drop in advice and support for local businesses and collaborative & inclusive programme during Dementia Action Week, building on last year’s success. 

Honour Thy Woman Group £5,000.00 

Our volunteers are working extremely supporting women across Gloucestershire. We are currently supporting 50 women & families against domestic abuse. We’re in need of funds to get 1 Peer Mentor a paid contract, this will help support many women in the Forest of Dean area. There are no services of our kind in the area. In the space, we will offer emergency kits i.e. cupboard food for families, toiletries and clothes provided in the shop. There are two rooms in the space, one room will be our wellbeing space where we offer clients 1-2-1 Peer Mentor Support. This support focuses on their mental health & wellbeing to recover from domestic abuse. The space will also be used for counselling sessions, wellbeing activities and children's waiting area when activities are not in progress. Offering a staff member role for the next year, mean we can then recruit for more volunteers who are wanting to support and give back. 

Newent Association for the Disabled £7,500.00 

Newent Association for the Disabled’s (NATD) mission is to ensure that quality of life is maintained – or increased – for disabled people who live in the very rural, Forest of Dean, and its surrounding areas. Our day centre is currently open Monday – Thursday, however, due to increased demand, and especially now with the cost-of-living crisis, we have recently trailed opening on a Friday to ensure that some of our most vulnerable clients can enjoy a warm space, hot food and essential human contact. The trail went very well, and we would now like to implement this on a permanent basis– with a particular focus on low-income groups.  

Crossroads Gloucestershire - Forest of Dean £7,500.00 

Forest of Dean Crossroads – Caring for Carers. To continue with the provision of social groups which are designed to support individuals who are unable to access their local community due to their care needs and those living in social isolation, due to either lack of family support or by reason of lack of financial means. These groups also support carers. We are seeking funding to continue with the provision of our set of social groups known as Active Living Services. 

Forest Carers (Mental Health) Support Group £1,500.00 

We are a self-funded peer group of 15 mental health carers who aim to support each other through monthly meetings (which include guest speakers and therapeutic activities such as craft activities, mindfulness and trips in nature), telephone calls, informal get togethers, and with access to individual, confidential mentoring and counselling support. We share our experiences of caring for the seriously mentally ill (SMI) so that no carer need feel alone, and as such we are a vital part of the local community. 

Goals Beyond Grass £7,500.00 

Goals Beyond Grass (GBG) enhance the lives disabled adults and children, by reducing social isolation and engaging the whole community in sport and physical activity using a variety of unique activities such as powerchair football, inclusive cycling, and multi-sports as the catalyst. Our inclusive cycling endeavour, known as "GBG Bikes," emerged in response to a significant demand within our county. We have made significant strides by fundraising and acquiring a diverse range of inclusive bikes. Among these are side-by-side bikes, which enable individuals lacking confidence or the ability to cycle independently to participate, thanks to the support of a friend, coach, or family member who cycles alongside them. We also provide wheelchair bikes that allow wheelchair users to enjoy cycling just like anyone else, along with trikes and hand cycles. This funding is crucial to maintaining our cycling sessions in the Forest of Dean for the next year, helping us establish a sustainable project with long-lasting benefits. 

Cinderford Artspace £7,480.00 

Cinderford Artspace works with people of all ages and abilities to break down the barriers to participation in the arts. From children ages 6 years to older people in their 90’s. Those living independently and those in residential care. Families and individuals: those with disabilities, learning difficulties, those facing mental health challenges. We run regular weekly activities from our community arts building in Cinderford; we run outreach classes/provision in other community venues/ care homes/schools across the Forest; and where in partnership or to meet a specific need we deliver projects across the County. We work to build confidence through the arts, to use arts to support health and well-being, to provide a progression route for those who want to pursue the arts as a profession and to provide quality arts content and engagement for everyone.   

Forest Voluntary Action Forum £7,500.00 

LAUNCH OF OW BIST – A NEW FOREST COMMUNITY SPACE 

FVAF has taken on a 25-year lease of the former Dockham Road Health Centre from Cinderford Town Council. We are redeveloping this building to provide opportunities for local people to reach their full potential and feel pride in the place they live. This includes providing:  

  • A front door for support in an identifiable, trusted, safe place in the heart of Cinderford Town Centre.   

  • Personalised and targeted support - bespoke access to appropriate organisations/activity  

  • Social interaction – linking people to opportunities and activities to get active, improve their mental health, and build new friendships/peer support  

  • Food Access – Community pantry provision, supported by produce grown in tranquillity gardens, cooking skills developed in the commercial kitchen  

  • Training – through digital suite, onsite café and community growing garden 

Sedbury Space £6,650.00 

To maintain and increase the provision provided by Sedbury Space for a growing number of outreach contacts, particularly those with mental health issues through the development of the “Expanding Horizons” project.  The activity funded by the Expanding Horizons project will embed and extend the current outreach provision, which is chiefly reliant on external funding, to give at least an additional 2 sessions over the next 12 months:  

  • a weekend gardening session in conjunction with the Parish Council and who have a community allotment.  

  • an opportunity for young mothers experiencing a variety of difficulties e.g. bereavement, domestic abuse, substance abuse to meet informally with their children in a safe environment and also have 1:1 confidential sessions.   

HARE Forest School CIC £7,500.00 

HARE Forest School CIC is a Community Interest Company with the purpose of improving the mental and emotional well-being of children and families in and around the Forest of Dean, through connection with the natural world and building community. 

Great Oaks Hopsice £7,500.00 

Great Oaks Hospice was established over twenty years ago, for the care of persons living with life-limiting illness, and for the support of their carers, families and friends, whether before or after the death of such persons. Our care is delivered, free of charge, on an individual basis and the needs of each person are addressed through a range of hospice services. Great Oaks Hospice primarily works with adults, from the Forest of Dean and district, with life-limiting illnesses, their families, carers and network of supporters. Our referral base is broad and includes but is not limited to: Community Mental Health Services, Social Prescribers, Community Learning Disability Team, GPs, CNS’s, Consultants, family members and self-referrals. 

The Shalom Network £7,500.00 

The Shalom Network is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) that supports people with additional and complex needs, often with physical disabilities. One our specialist areas is to provide Digital Communication sessions to those who though non-verbal can hugely improve the quality of their lives and relationships with carers and families by learning one or more methods of communication using digital technology. The project is about ‘giving voice' using various digital technologies, as a means of communication to those who have limited or no speech capability due to disability. We do this by providing one-2- one tutored communication sessions, teaching the use of specialist digital technology as a means of providing an alternative means of communication. 

Honour Thy Woman Group £5,000.00 

Our volunteers are working extremely supporting women across Gloucestershire. We are currently supporting 50 women & families against domestic abuse. We’re in need of funds to get 1 Peer Mentor a paid contract, this will help support many women in the Forest of Dean area. There are no services of our kind in the area. In the space, we will offer emergency kits i.e. cupboard food for families, toiletries and clothes provided in the shop. There are two rooms in the space, one room will be our wellbeing space where we offer clients 1-2-1 Peer Mentor Support. This support focuses on their mental health & wellbeing to recover from domestic abuse. The space will also be used for counselling sessions, wellbeing activities and children's waiting area when activities are not in progress. Offering a staff member role for the next year, mean we can then recruit for more volunteers who are wanting to support and give back. 

Newent Association for the Disabled £7,500.00 

Newent Association for the Disabled’s (NATD) mission is to ensure that quality of life is maintained – or increased – for disabled people who live in the very rural, Forest of Dean, and its surrounding areas. Our day centre is currently open Monday – Thursday, however, due to increased demand, and especially now with the cost-of-living crisis, we have recently trailed opening on a Friday to ensure that some of our most vulnerable clients can enjoy a warm space, hot food and essential human contact. The trail went very well, and we would now like to implement this on a permanent basis– with a particular focus on low-income groups.  

Crossroads Gloucestershire - Forest of Dean £7,500.00 

Forest of Dean Crossroads – Caring for Carers. To continue with the provision of social groups which are designed to support individuals who are unable to access their local community due to their care needs and those living in social isolation, due to either lack of family support or by reason of lack of financial means. These groups also support carers. We are seeking funding to continue with the provision of our set of social groups known as Active Living Services. 

Forest Carers (Mental Health) Support Group £1,500.00 

We are a self-funded peer group of 15 mental health carers who aim to support each other through monthly meetings (which include guest speakers and therapeutic activities such as craft activities, mindfulness and trips in nature), telephone calls, informal get togethers, and with access to individual, confidential mentoring and counselling support. We share our experiences of caring for the seriously mentally ill (SMI) so that no carer need feel alone, and as such we are a vital part of the local community. 

Goals Beyond Grass £7,500.00 

Goals Beyond Grass (GBG) enhance the lives disabled adults and children, by reducing social isolation and engaging the whole community in sport and physical activity using a variety of unique activities such as powerchair football, inclusive cycling, and multi-sports as the catalyst. Our inclusive cycling endeavour, known as "GBG Bikes," emerged in response to a significant demand within our county. We have made significant strides by fundraising and acquiring a diverse range of inclusive bikes. Among these are side-by-side bikes, which enable individuals lacking confidence or the ability to cycle independently to participate, thanks to the support of a friend, coach, or family member who cycles alongside them. We also provide wheelchair bikes that allow wheelchair users to enjoy cycling just like anyone else, along with trikes and hand cycles. This funding is crucial to maintaining our cycling sessions in the Forest of Dean for the next year, helping us establish a sustainable project with long-lasting benefits. 

Cinderford Artspace £7,480.00 

Cinderford Artspace works with people of all ages and abilities to break down the barriers to participation in the arts. From children ages 6 years to older people in their 90’s. Those living independently and those in residential care. Families and individuals: those with disabilities, learning difficulties, those facing mental health challenges. We run regular weekly activities from our community arts building in Cinderford; we run outreach classes/provision in other community venues/ care homes/schools across the Forest; and where in partnership or to meet a specific need we deliver projects across the County. We work to build confidence through the arts, to use arts to support health and well-being, to provide a progression route for those who want to pursue the arts as a profession and to provide quality arts content and engagement for everyone.   

Forest Voluntary Action Forum £7,500.00 

LAUNCH OF OW BIST – A NEW FOREST COMMUNITY SPACE 

FVAF has taken on a 25-year lease of the former Dockham Road Health Centre from Cinderford Town Council. We are redeveloping this building to provide opportunities for local people to reach their full potential and feel pride in the place they live. This includes providing:  

  • A front door for support in an identifiable, trusted, safe place in the heart of Cinderford Town Centre.   

  • Personalised and targeted support - bespoke access to appropriate organisations/activity  

  • Social interaction – linking people to opportunities and activities to get active, improve their mental health, and build new friendships/peer support  

  • Food Access – Community pantry provision, supported by produce grown in tranquillity gardens, cooking skills developed in the commercial kitchen  

  • Training – through digital suite, onsite café and community growing garden 

Sedbury Space £6,650.00 

To maintain and increase the provision provided by Sedbury Space for a growing number of outreach contacts, particularly those with mental health issues through the development of the “Expanding Horizons” project.  The activity funded by the Expanding Horizons project will embed and extend the current outreach provision, which is chiefly reliant on external funding, to give at least an additional 2 sessions over the next 12 months:  

  • a weekend gardening session in conjunction with the Parish Council and who have a community allotment.  

  • an opportunity for young mothers experiencing a variety of difficulties e.g. bereavement, domestic abuse, substance abuse to meet informally with their children in a safe environment and also have 1:1 confidential sessions.   

HARE Forest School CIC £7,500.00 

HARE Forest School CIC is a Community Interest Company with the purpose of improving the mental and emotional well-being of children and families in and around the Forest of Dean, through connection with the natural world and building community. 

Great Oaks Hopsice £7,500.00 

Great Oaks Hospice was established over twenty years ago, for the care of persons living with life-limiting illness, and for the support of their carers, families and friends, whether before or after the death of such persons. Our care is delivered, free of charge, on an individual basis and the needs of each person are addressed through a range of hospice services. Great Oaks Hospice primarily works with adults, from the Forest of Dean and district, with life-limiting illnesses, their families, carers and network of supporters. Our referral base is broad and includes but is not limited to: Community Mental Health Services, Social Prescribers, Community Learning Disability Team, GPs, CNS’s, Consultants, family members and self-referrals. 

The Shalom Network £7,500.00 

The Shalom Network is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) that supports people with additional and complex needs, often with physical disabilities. One our specialist areas is to provide Digital Communication sessions to those who though non-verbal can hugely improve the quality of their lives and relationships with carers and families by learning one or more methods of communication using digital technology. The project is about ‘giving voice' using various digital technologies, as a means of communication to those who have limited or no speech capability due to disability. We do this by providing one-2- one tutored communication sessions, teaching the use of specialist digital technology as a means of providing an alternative means of communication. 

Gloucestershire Bike Project CIC £7,500.00 

We would like to set up a free long term bike loan scheme whereby people can apply for a loan of a refurbished bike for an initial period of 6 months, with a review period at the end of the 6 months to assess the success of the intervention. People who are benefitting may then keep the bike as a means of continued improvements to health & wellbeing. We will use the funding to refurbish 50 bikes, which will then be made available to people on lower incomes who wish to improve their health/fitness/sense of wellbeing. It will also be available for carers, people on lower incomes who consider that their physical, emotional, or psychological wellbeing can be improved through access to a bike.  

Abbeymead Rovers £4,000.00 

The PIRATES session is aimed at getting people living with a health condition out and about – get up get active.  We spend some time developing movement, coordination, balance etc whilst playing a non-contact fun sport. We primarily work with people living with a physical health condition but are finding more people with mental health conditions are being ‘prescribed’ to attend.  Partners and carers are welcome and we encourage them to join in with us.  

Wiggly Charity £6,409.00 

Our “Wiggly Seasonal Kitchen 2024” proposal is aimed at making a difference to vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Gloucester by offering them opportunities to learn practical kitchen skills including budgeting, meal planning, food preparation, seasonal cooking and nutritional awareness.  It is designed to empower participants to cook meals independently, with a focus on helping those who live in food poverty or suffer from mental health issues, learning disabilities or social isolation.   Our proposal is aimed at boosting participants’ confidence and self-esteem by providing them with a sense of purpose, challenge and achievement and giving them the knowledge and skills to enable them to prepare and cook healthy meals for themselves independently.   

Charcot Therapy Centre £5,000.00 

At the Charcot Therapy Centre we help and work with people in the Gloucestershire area living with long term health conditions, specialising in Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorders. We also welcome people with sports injuries and post-operative recovery. We currently support people with 73 different conditions which include MS, Fibromyalgia, Cancer, ME/CFS, Parkinson’s, Early onset Dementia, FND, Depression & Anxiety, ADHD and more recently Long Covid. In addition to helping those living with these conditions we also offer support and guidance to their family and carers. We would like to continue the exercise provision we have trialled and succeeded in implementing long term, but we need to increase the number of sessions a week of exercise classes to accommodate more service users whilst keeping any costs to our service users to a minimum. 

Elmbridge Together £7,500.00 

We are applying for support to continue: 

  • the Elmbridge Warm Welcome Space, including two course community meal. The Lonsdale Lounge provides a warm welcome on Mondays, 10am-2pm at Lonsdale Road Community Hall, offering a range of activities. 

  • Elmbridge Food Hub, including family support, family food classes, and expansion to improve facilities at our host venue. 

  • Resident-led activities - We would like to continue to support residents to work together to do the things that matter to them. This approach has informed our development, and we would like to continue with this.  

     

    The Family Haven £7,500.00 

    We are seeking funding to continue to support disadvantaged families including those who are living with mental health issues, Carers, Asylum seekers and refugees. Our aim is to empower parents and carers to create a brighter future for themselves and the children they are raising. Our work offers tailored support to strengthen families in need, helping them to improve the quality of their lives, and to build a support network to reduce their isolation. This includes personal development sessions, offering practical assistance such as handson parenting support to improve family functioning, and to avoid care or family breakdown. We also have organisations come in to offer families financial advice, to help families struggling through the cost of living crisis. 

    Suicide Bereaved Community £627.39 

    Suicide Bereaved Community unites individuals who have all experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide. We have come together to create a community that offers support, understanding and healing in a distinct way. We believe it is important to have connections with others who, because they share it, truly understand our experience. We offer ongoing peer support through a combination of engaging in regular group social activities, complemented by digital and social media-based peer support. We are requesting your support to cover our management overheads for 2024 and this will be invaluable in helping us continue to deliver this project and offering a safe space where individuals can connect with others who truly understand the complexities of their journey. 

     Gloucester Community Networking  £5,498.50 

    We are seeking funding to continue 3 x groups held in Churchdown whilst welcoming people from the wider area from January – December 2024. 

    Names of Project Groups:  

    • Basic Laptop Skills (GL3 Community Hub previous course finished May 2023) 

    • WELLBEING MATTERS (St Johns Church Hall) – A Monthly Group - Timings  

    • FORCES HUB - FHUB (GL3 Community Hub) – A Monthly Group 

    These groups will support local residents, which includes unemployed, over 50s, have disabilities and are impacted from a range of mental ill-health conditions and isolation. Our local area includes a higher-than-average number of diverse military personnel and their families (24 Nationalities from European & Gurkha Support Battalion with Nepalese Families and Veterans), who are based at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth. Additionally, due to the local barracks being an ex-Royal Air Force camp, there is a larger than average number of RAF Veterans as well as five other Military Units in our county.  

    The Music Works £5,000.00 

    It will allow us to increase our provision and provide additional sessions within the community to young people who need it most and to isolated communities and areas of rural deprivation.  The Music Bus will visit identified areas for 2 hours every week for 10 weeks, aiming to have 20 visitors per session. Building on successes from this year, we will aim to work with up to 500 young people per year (up to age 24). Through this project, we aim to achieve the following outcomes for young people:  

    • Improved confidence, self-esteem, resilience, motivation, and aspirations.  

    • Enhanced well-being measured using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale.  

    • Increased engagement in training, volunteering, education, or employment.  

    • Opportunities for positive engagement within their local community.  

    Over the last year, we have seen the impact the music bus is also providing on the families and wider community, we aim to achieve:  

    • Provide parents with respite.   

    • Reduction in incidents of anti-social behaviour. 

     

Gloucestershire Bike Project CIC £7,500.00 

We would like to set up a free long term bike loan scheme whereby people can apply for a loan of a refurbished bike for an initial period of 6 months, with a review period at the end of the 6 months to assess the success of the intervention. People who are benefitting may then keep the bike as a means of continued improvements to health & wellbeing. We will use the funding to refurbish 50 bikes, which will then be made available to people on lower incomes who wish to improve their health/fitness/sense of wellbeing. It will also be available for carers, people on lower incomes who consider that their physical, emotional, or psychological wellbeing can be improved through access to a bike.  

Abbeymead Rovers £4,000.00 

The PIRATES session is aimed at getting people living with a health condition out and about – get up get active.  We spend some time developing movement, coordination, balance etc whilst playing a non-contact fun sport. We primarily work with people living with a physical health condition but are finding more people with mental health conditions are being ‘prescribed’ to attend.  Partners and carers are welcome and we encourage them to join in with us.  

Wiggly Charity £6,409.00 

Our “Wiggly Seasonal Kitchen 2024” proposal is aimed at making a difference to vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Gloucester by offering them opportunities to learn practical kitchen skills including budgeting, meal planning, food preparation, seasonal cooking and nutritional awareness.  It is designed to empower participants to cook meals independently, with a focus on helping those who live in food poverty or suffer from mental health issues, learning disabilities or social isolation.   Our proposal is aimed at boosting participants’ confidence and self-esteem by providing them with a sense of purpose, challenge and achievement and giving them the knowledge and skills to enable them to prepare and cook healthy meals for themselves independently.   

Charcot Therapy Centre £5,000.00 

At the Charcot Therapy Centre we help and work with people in the Gloucestershire area living with long term health conditions, specialising in Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological disorders. We also welcome people with sports injuries and post-operative recovery. We currently support people with 73 different conditions which include MS, Fibromyalgia, Cancer, ME/CFS, Parkinson’s, Early onset Dementia, FND, Depression & Anxiety, ADHD and more recently Long Covid. In addition to helping those living with these conditions we also offer support and guidance to their family and carers. We would like to continue the exercise provision we have trialled and succeeded in implementing long term, but we need to increase the number of sessions a week of exercise classes to accommodate more service users whilst keeping any costs to our service users to a minimum. 

Elmbridge Together £7,500.00 

We are applying for support to continue: 

  • the Elmbridge Warm Welcome Space, including two course community meal. The Lonsdale Lounge provides a warm welcome on Mondays, 10am-2pm at Lonsdale Road Community Hall, offering a range of activities. 

  • Elmbridge Food Hub, including family support, family food classes, and expansion to improve facilities at our host venue. 

  • Resident-led activities - We would like to continue to support residents to work together to do the things that matter to them. This approach has informed our development, and we would like to continue with this.  

     

    The Family Haven £7,500.00 

    We are seeking funding to continue to support disadvantaged families including those who are living with mental health issues, Carers, Asylum seekers and refugees. Our aim is to empower parents and carers to create a brighter future for themselves and the children they are raising. Our work offers tailored support to strengthen families in need, helping them to improve the quality of their lives, and to build a support network to reduce their isolation. This includes personal development sessions, offering practical assistance such as handson parenting support to improve family functioning, and to avoid care or family breakdown. We also have organisations come in to offer families financial advice, to help families struggling through the cost of living crisis. 

    Suicide Bereaved Community £627.39 

    Suicide Bereaved Community unites individuals who have all experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide. We have come together to create a community that offers support, understanding and healing in a distinct way. We believe it is important to have connections with others who, because they share it, truly understand our experience. We offer ongoing peer support through a combination of engaging in regular group social activities, complemented by digital and social media-based peer support. We are requesting your support to cover our management overheads for 2024 and this will be invaluable in helping us continue to deliver this project and offering a safe space where individuals can connect with others who truly understand the complexities of their journey. 

     Gloucester Community Networking  £5,498.50 

    We are seeking funding to continue 3 x groups held in Churchdown whilst welcoming people from the wider area from January – December 2024. 

    Names of Project Groups:  

    • Basic Laptop Skills (GL3 Community Hub previous course finished May 2023) 

    • WELLBEING MATTERS (St Johns Church Hall) – A Monthly Group - Timings  

    • FORCES HUB - FHUB (GL3 Community Hub) – A Monthly Group 

    These groups will support local residents, which includes unemployed, over 50s, have disabilities and are impacted from a range of mental ill-health conditions and isolation. Our local area includes a higher-than-average number of diverse military personnel and their families (24 Nationalities from European & Gurkha Support Battalion with Nepalese Families and Veterans), who are based at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth. Additionally, due to the local barracks being an ex-Royal Air Force camp, there is a larger than average number of RAF Veterans as well as five other Military Units in our county.  

    The Music Works £5,000.00 

    It will allow us to increase our provision and provide additional sessions within the community to young people who need it most and to isolated communities and areas of rural deprivation.  The Music Bus will visit identified areas for 2 hours every week for 10 weeks, aiming to have 20 visitors per session. Building on successes from this year, we will aim to work with up to 500 young people per year (up to age 24). Through this project, we aim to achieve the following outcomes for young people:  

    • Improved confidence, self-esteem, resilience, motivation, and aspirations.  

    • Enhanced well-being measured using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Wellbeing Scale.  

    • Increased engagement in training, volunteering, education, or employment.  

    • Opportunities for positive engagement within their local community.  

    Over the last year, we have seen the impact the music bus is also providing on the families and wider community, we aim to achieve:  

    • Provide parents with respite.   

    • Reduction in incidents of anti-social behaviour. 

     

Community Connexions £7,500.00 

Community Connexions partners with other local charities and organisations to address the transport needs of Gloucestershire residents who are vulnerable, elderly or disabled. Research carried out by Barnwood in 2020 showed that disabled people in the county face multiple barriers to education, employment, volunteering and leisure activities, with accessible and affordable transport one of the key factors.  Community Connexions has therefore embarked on an ambitious project to change this. We have reached out to a number of key partners within Gloucestershire to talk to them about the challenges their beneficiaries face when trying to participate in leisure activities such as visiting local attractions and getting out into nature.  

 

Insight Gloucestershire £7,477.83 

Insight Gloucestershire’s objective is to provide timely and appropriate support services for all people affected by sight loss in Gloucestershire, along with their families and friends.  Our aim is to ensure people with sight loss in the county are able to lead active, independent and fulfilled lives. With this project our aim is to grow and expand our practical and emotional support for people affected by sight loss in Gloucestershire.  We want to deliver this through our community sight loss service Information, Advice and Guidance Hubs around the county. Our aim is that every resident with sight loss in the county will be no more than 10 miles from information, advice and guidance. 

Cruse Bereavement Support Gloucestershire £7,100.00 

Your support will enable us to continue to provide free, early intervention bereavement support sessions for Gloucestershire residents. The monthly ‘Understanding Your Bereavement’ (UYB) sessions are offered to anyone who is assessed as needing support and/or are on the waiting list for one-to-one support.  The sessions enable more people to access support sooner, providing a welcoming environment where grief and bereavement are explored through providing information on grief models and clients are helped to normalise the complex emotions associated with loss.   

ADHD Hub Gloucestershire CIC £4,500.00 

The aim of the project is to offer peer support and peer mentoring for those with neurodevelopmental conditions across Gloucestershire. This is aimed at those who have or think that they may have ADHD. We currently have four regular adult peer support groups across Gloucestershire run by volunteers. We have a desperate need to reach other areas, with our community travelling many miles to access peer support. 

Mindsong £7,500.00 

Sing 2 Remember groups are for people living with dementia at home, the people that care for and support them, and also for older people who are isolated, lonely and so at greater risk of developing dementia. Most are twice monthly, one fortnightly, two are monthly. In 2023 we have expanded rapidly and are now running groups in Cirencester, Bourton, Cheltenham, Churchdown, Tewkesbury, Hucclecote, Lydney, Stroud, Chipping Sodbury, Wotton-under-Edge and online. The spread is to reduce the barrier of lack of transport and we now believe no one is more than 20 minutes away from a regular group.  

Gloucestershire Older Persons’ Association (GOPA) £4,750.00 

We plan to continue with our ‘Link Project’ by engaging with groups of older people as well as running stands at events across the county with information provided by a wide range of voluntary and statutory organisations. Establishing a fund that can be used to ‘kick start’ new social groups for older people and re-start groups that stopped meeting during covid. We work across the whole of Gloucestershire and in recent years have engaged with organisations supporting older people, their families and carers, with a range of physical and mental conditions.  

Heroes and Heroines CIC £3,500.00 

Heroes and Heroines has been a community club, running for more than 30 years, providing Live Action Role Playing (LARP) for adults, run by a team of volunteers. LARP provides outdoors socialisation, social connection, mental wellbeing and physical activity to those attending. LARP is a game, where people create characters and play those characters out in real life, working together in a team to complete tasks, such as puzzles, mazes, orienteering and fantasy combat. We are requesting funding to be able to pay for any players and families from a low-income background, those experiencing additional barriers e.g., Neurodiversity, Long term Health Conditions and Disabilities or those experiencing Mental Health issues. 

Artlift £7,236.00 

Artift is a specialist Creative Health charity that has been delivering Arts on Prescription services for adults living with mental health challenges for over 15 years. We also work with people facing compounding barriers such as chronic pain, extreme fatigue, neurological conditions, learning differences and/or social or personal challenges such as isolation, housing difficulties, or domestic abuse.   

We want to work alongside men with mental health & associated challenges to co-design interventions that feel relevant to them, and which will impact positively on their health, wellbeing & future prospects. We will:  

  • engage with 4 men’s groups, such as ManUp Gloucestershire, through conversation and taster workshops;   

  • co-design a framework and content for 10 x 2-hour sessions alongside men who attend Open Door Guest Hub in Cheltenham who have experienced homelessness &/or addition issues.   

  • partner with Glos Integrated Offender Management (IOM) to work with frequent offenders (the majority with addition issues) over 9 sessions totalling 30 hours engagement.

Community Connexions £7,500.00 

Community Connexions partners with other local charities and organisations to address the transport needs of Gloucestershire residents who are vulnerable, elderly or disabled. Research carried out by Barnwood in 2020 showed that disabled people in the county face multiple barriers to education, employment, volunteering and leisure activities, with accessible and affordable transport one of the key factors.  Community Connexions has therefore embarked on an ambitious project to change this. We have reached out to a number of key partners within Gloucestershire to talk to them about the challenges their beneficiaries face when trying to participate in leisure activities such as visiting local attractions and getting out into nature.  

 

Insight Gloucestershire £7,477.83 

Insight Gloucestershire’s objective is to provide timely and appropriate support services for all people affected by sight loss in Gloucestershire, along with their families and friends.  Our aim is to ensure people with sight loss in the county are able to lead active, independent and fulfilled lives. With this project our aim is to grow and expand our practical and emotional support for people affected by sight loss in Gloucestershire.  We want to deliver this through our community sight loss service Information, Advice and Guidance Hubs around the county. Our aim is that every resident with sight loss in the county will be no more than 10 miles from information, advice and guidance. 

Cruse Bereavement Support Gloucestershire £7,100.00 

Your support will enable us to continue to provide free, early intervention bereavement support sessions for Gloucestershire residents. The monthly ‘Understanding Your Bereavement’ (UYB) sessions are offered to anyone who is assessed as needing support and/or are on the waiting list for one-to-one support.  The sessions enable more people to access support sooner, providing a welcoming environment where grief and bereavement are explored through providing information on grief models and clients are helped to normalise the complex emotions associated with loss.   

ADHD Hub Gloucestershire CIC £4,500.00 

The aim of the project is to offer peer support and peer mentoring for those with neurodevelopmental conditions across Gloucestershire. This is aimed at those who have or think that they may have ADHD. We currently have four regular adult peer support groups across Gloucestershire run by volunteers. We have a desperate need to reach other areas, with our community travelling many miles to access peer support. 

Mindsong £7,500.00 

Sing 2 Remember groups are for people living with dementia at home, the people that care for and support them, and also for older people who are isolated, lonely and so at greater risk of developing dementia. Most are twice monthly, one fortnightly, two are monthly. In 2023 we have expanded rapidly and are now running groups in Cirencester, Bourton, Cheltenham, Churchdown, Tewkesbury, Hucclecote, Lydney, Stroud, Chipping Sodbury, Wotton-under-Edge and online. The spread is to reduce the barrier of lack of transport and we now believe no one is more than 20 minutes away from a regular group.  

Gloucestershire Older Persons’ Association (GOPA) £4,750.00 

We plan to continue with our ‘Link Project’ by engaging with groups of older people as well as running stands at events across the county with information provided by a wide range of voluntary and statutory organisations. Establishing a fund that can be used to ‘kick start’ new social groups for older people and re-start groups that stopped meeting during covid. We work across the whole of Gloucestershire and in recent years have engaged with organisations supporting older people, their families and carers, with a range of physical and mental conditions.  

Heroes and Heroines CIC £3,500.00 

Heroes and Heroines has been a community club, running for more than 30 years, providing Live Action Role Playing (LARP) for adults, run by a team of volunteers. LARP provides outdoors socialisation, social connection, mental wellbeing and physical activity to those attending. LARP is a game, where people create characters and play those characters out in real life, working together in a team to complete tasks, such as puzzles, mazes, orienteering and fantasy combat. We are requesting funding to be able to pay for any players and families from a low-income background, those experiencing additional barriers e.g., Neurodiversity, Long term Health Conditions and Disabilities or those experiencing Mental Health issues. 

Artlift £7,236.00 

Artift is a specialist Creative Health charity that has been delivering Arts on Prescription services for adults living with mental health challenges for over 15 years. We also work with people facing compounding barriers such as chronic pain, extreme fatigue, neurological conditions, learning differences and/or social or personal challenges such as isolation, housing difficulties, or domestic abuse.   

We want to work alongside men with mental health & associated challenges to co-design interventions that feel relevant to them, and which will impact positively on their health, wellbeing & future prospects. We will:  

  • engage with 4 men’s groups, such as ManUp Gloucestershire, through conversation and taster workshops;   

  • co-design a framework and content for 10 x 2-hour sessions alongside men who attend Open Door Guest Hub in Cheltenham who have experienced homelessness &/or addition issues.   

  • partner with Glos Integrated Offender Management (IOM) to work with frequent offenders (the majority with addition issues) over 9 sessions totalling 30 hours engagement.