Kingswood community organisation Kingsmeadow@MadeForever has been awarded a £433,000 grant to support its work.
The funding provided by the National Lottery, spread over five years, will be used to support Kingsmeadow’s direct frontline services and will help make a positive impact for all members of the community.
Local MP Chris Skidmore met the charity’s chief officer Catherine Sama who showed him around the hub in Fisher Road and introduced him to their team.
He learned about the activities and work the charity does in the community, and how it helps meet the needs of local individuals and families, many of whom face multiple challenges such as mental health needs or substance misuse.
The hub offers a wide range of services including counselling spaces, employment advice, a community garden, outdoor sports court, café, recycling workshop, a second-hand shop, and an indoor sports hall.
During the coronavirus crisis, the team had to pause several community events and programmes and quickly adapt to an increase in referrals for individual and families needing their services within the community.
Mr Skidmore said: “I was delighted to visit Kingsmeadow’s great local community hub and meet the dedicated team of staff and volunteers making a difference in the lives of many families and young people in the area.
“Like many community groups they faced serious challenges during the pandemic and an increased demand for their services. This grant is fantastic news and will enable them to continue providing much-needed targeted support and wellbeing facilities for our community.”
Catherine Sama said the MP’s visit and interest in their work was a great encouragement to the staff, volunteer team and the local community.
Mr Skidmore is pictured with Catherine Sama and the organisation’s chair Lucie Martin-Jones.
Thank you for reading this. The Week In has been publishing local news free of charge for the last 12 years. That won’t change in the future but we are changing the way we run our business. Until now, we have been solely dependent on advertising revenue but we have now set up a cooperative to oversee the future development of the publication. The Week In Community Ltd is a community benefit society, owned not by shareholders but individual members. By becoming a member at £3 a month you will not only be contributing to the future of local interest journalism but will also have a say in the future of the organisation. To find out more, click on the button on the right of the banner at the top of this page.
