Groups boosted through partnership with Wessex Water

Voluntary groups and charities helping communities recover from Covid have been boosted with grants totalling more than £43,000 through our partnership with Wessex Water.

The Wessex Water Recovery Fund is part of the Wessex Water Foundation, a multi-million pound initiative launched last June. Grants are targeted at supporting people in financially difficult circumstances, building stronger communities, developing green recovery initiatives and protecting nature and wildlife for community health and wellbeing.

Kirsty Scarlett, Wessex Water’s head of community engagement, said: “The Wessex Water Foundation aims to help groups recovering from the impact of Covid-19 on local communities and to help local organisations and charities in building resilience for the future. I'm delighted to be able to share the news that our local community panels have now decided which organisations will receive funding."

Wiltshire Community Foundation Joint chief executive Fiona Oliver said: “We are proud that our long-standing relationship with Wessex Water means groups in Wiltshire and Swindon who have struggled to fundraise to keep their services going will benefit from this funding. Wessex Water chooses to work with us because we know where this money is needed the most.”

Among the recipients of the £43,000 awarded through the partnership are:

Help Counselling Services in Trowbridge, which sees clients from all over Wiltshire, who received £2,500 to provide more low-cost counselling to people struggling with the lockdowns.

Alzheimer’s Support who received £1,800 to cover the running costs of its Movement for the Mind classes in Devizes.

The Rise Trust has been awarded £2,500 to fund youth workers to go out and meet young people on the streets of Chippenham on Friday nights for 16 weeks.

Wylye Coyotes has received £2,500 towards running the Codford Community Larder.

Able Hands Together community farm near Stoford has been awarded £2,500 to run its ‘Virtually Together’ weekly video calls and send out activity packs for people with learning disabilities who would normally be at the farm.

Buzz Action Foundation, which uses circus skills workshops to engage with young people in Salisbury, has been awarded £2,500 to open a pop-up café for youngsters in Amesbury.

Calne in Tune has been awarded £2,050 to revamp the hot water, plumbing and toilets at its drop-in centre in Church Street.

Wiltshire Scrapstore has been awarded £2,500 to run workshops for children and on ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

Rise:61 has been awarded £2,500 to help it develop its community garden in Bemerton Heath.

More information on our Coronavirus Response Appeal can be found here.