8 community projects in the borough of Doncaster have received community grant funding as part of an Environmental Pride initiative run by St Leger Homes, Doncaster Council, the Doncaster Chamber and Doncaster College.
Financing for the scheme comes from St Leger Homes’ Social Value Credits accumulated through their use of EN:Procure’s frameworks for housing repairs. Social Value Credits are designed for Efficiency North's membership of social housing landlords to channel into the heart of their communities, where it matters most.
Since March, local groups have been encouraged to send in funding bids for small scale, community-led projects that aim to make improvements for neighbourhoods and the local environment.
The 8 community projects the Environmental Pride initiative will now be supporting are:
Castle Close Garden Project (Tickhill) This will bring environmental improvements to a small area to the rear of the bungalows on Castle Close in Tickhill, including planters which will be used to grow fruit and vegetables for the community.
Community Garden Project (Circuit House) This will help purchase a greenhouse allowing the group to have a vegetable and fruit garden, growing produce that can be enjoyed by the community.
Summer House (Denaby Well Bean) This will help to build a summerhouse located within the community allotment.
Move It (Friends of Martinwells Lake) This will enable further enhancements to the lake area which will include the installation of additional outdoor gym equipment.
Life Church (Church Balk Gardens) This will help revamp the garden area of Church Balk Gardens and install raised flowerbeds to grow flowers and vegetables.
Litter Picking Lunches (Cambeth Community Project) This will help fund a project enabling service users, all of whom have additional needs, to develop their social interaction skills. It will also provide educational opportunities around recycling and conservation, and help to address issues of social depravation and isolation.
Live our Land (Community Connector) This will improve an area of land behind some residential housing on Askern Road in Toll Bar by creating a useful social space for the community to enjoy.
Seed to Feed (Whinfell Community Group) – This will revitalise a piece of land near Whinfell Communal Hall in Adwick by creating raised flowerbeds to grow produce that will be used to provide soups and light lunches to members of the community. Any excess produce grown will be delivered to the residents of the area.
Dave Richmond, Chief Executive of St Leger Homes, said: “I am very proud that this Environmental Pride initiative is giving much needed support to so many fantastic projects that have been set up by local residents to support their own communities.
“It really is amazing to see the amount of time and effort that local people are prepared to give for the benefit of others living around them, and I am honoured that we have been able to support and encourage their hard work, alongside Efficiency North and other partners. Congratulations to everyone who has received a grant – we look forward to seeing the improvements they make in local communities for years to come.”
Emma Mottram, Director of Operations for EN:Procure said : “I’m delighted to see so many great local projects benefitting from St Leger’s Environmental Pride fund to deliver real positive change for people in their communities by improving the local environment for everyone. Tackling the impact of climate change and taking care of our planet for current and future generations is very much at the heart of EN:Procure’s operations. Well done to everyone who’s been successful in their bids. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of these great efforts in the Doncaster area.”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EN:PROCURE SOCIAL VALUE CREDITS HERE