Bentley Motors and Cheshire Community Foundation are pleased to confirm details of the local organisations that have successfully secured grants to deliver projects targeting Covid recovery in Crewe over the next 12 months.
The one-off grants, which range from £7,800 to £25,000 have been awarded to projects that tackle food poverty; mental health and wellbeing; debt relief and financial education – recognising that many people will have been affected by all three issues as a result of the Covid pandemic. Enhancing servies across these key areas will support people needing joined up support. Over 5,000 individuals are expected to benefit first hand across the eleven projects funded.
The successful applicants include Motherwell the women’s mental health charity, Pennysmart money advice organisation, and Chance Changing Lives community pantry. These projects will have a real measurable impact, directly involving over 5,000 people, helping to rebuild their lives after the pandemic and sending positive ripples out through the community with an estimated 10,000 further family members due to benefit indirectly.
This new fund has significantly bolstered the funding available to local not-for-profit organisations in 2021, allowing them to focus on their vital work in the community.
The fund will support:
- Food and operating costs for a community pantry
- Food, staffing and fuel for a food bank to deliver food parcels locally for those unable to collect
- Food, volunteer and vehicle running costs at a homelesness centre
- Counselling services for young women aged 13-18
- Grief counselling for people bereaved through Covid-19
- Schools based group counselling sessions for children and young people coming out of lockdown
- Salary costs, the recruitment of ten new volunteers and IT equipment for local citizens advice centres to meet increased demand
- Salary costs and staff training to enhance Mental Health First Aiders
- Training volunteer counsellors to enhance support at an LGBT+ charity
- Staffing costs and overheads to increase support available for a money advice helpline service
- The salary for an additonal debt coach in a debt counselling organisation
Bentley’s Member of the Board for People, Digitalisation and IT, Dr Astrid Fontaine comments:
“Communities everywhere have been profoundly affected by Covid. Our goal in establishing this fund with Cheshire Community Foundation – as part of our wider “Come Back Stronger” – covid recovery campaign, is to support locally run projects that can make a quick and tangible change to people’s lives in the Crewe area. We know that many local organisations are themselves struggling with funding issues due to the pandemic, so this additional injection of support enables them to stay focused on delivery at this critical time. Crewe has been Bentley’s home for 75 years, and our relationship with the town is key to who we are. We are very pleased to be able to make this support available at this time.
Zoe Sheppard, CEO of Cheshire Community Foundation, commented:
“The whole team at Cheshire Community Foundation is thrilled to support our valued partner Bentley with this grants programme. We’re delighted to announce the award of these eleven grants, all of which will have life changing impacts for the people involved. The charitable organisations are experts in their field; now they can get on with their work, which is more vital than ever as we come out of the pandemic. Bentley’s generosity and commitment to their home town of Crewe is truly inspiring.