Thrive GIVE community grants announced

Thrive Homes has announced six recipients for community grants in 2022-23.

As an organisation providing affordable homes, Thrive Homes is keen to support projects that make a real difference to our customers and their wider communities.

Our community grant application scheme – GIVE Grants – provides funding to locally based charities and community groups that enable them to deliver new or additional services for the benefit of our customers.

These community grants are additional to funding given to our core charities – Citizens Advice Service and Herts Mind – who provide financial guidance and case workers providing support to victims of domestic abuse and those struggling with mental wellbeing.

Applications for Thrive’s community grants are reviewed by a panel of customer facing colleagues, who use their knowledge of issues faced by Thrive’s customers to make recommendations for grant funding to our Executive Team. This year, due to the current economic climate, the group agreed to focus on charitable organisations that can offer a variety of services to a wide range of Thrive customers.

This year, we are delighted to support organisations providing access to information, advice, support and community spaces. In 2022-23, Thrive GIVE will provide grants to;

  • Abbots Langley Safer Neighbourhoods Team – a community policing service that will use the money to provide training and equipment to reduce damage made to doors during forced entry.
  • Ascend ‘Dig Deep’ Sensory Garden Project - a weekly volunteering gardening programme in South Oxhey. They will be working with a horticultural therapist to create a peaceful oasis for members of the local community to enjoy.
  • Liberty Tea Rooms – a community run tearoom and community hub in Hemel Hempstead. The charity is a One-Stop-Shop offering free services including award-winning debt counselling alongside Budgeting and Life Skill Courses. They work in partnership with the local foodbank offering emergency food parcels and offer a donations-based payment service so that no one is financially excluded from a warm place to sit and a bite to eat.
  • Oxhey Woods Conservation Volunteers – enhancing and maintaining access to Oxhey Woods for the local community.
  • Small Acts of Kindness – source and distribute practical gifts and information to reduce the negative impact that feeling lonely or isolated can have on older people’s physical and mental wellbeing. By giving out Warm in Winter Gift Bags they aim to heat the person and not the home.
  • Watford Workshop – providing employment and independent life skills training opportunities to local adults with a disability. They tackle issues of unemployment, lack of skills and social isolation.

“Thrive’s biggest contribution to communities is providing affordable homes where people can start and sustain their lives. Whilst our expertise is in building and managing our homes, we recognise the importance of community organisations that provide additional support and services to our customers and the wider community.

It’s a privilege to be able to provide funding to these organisations that will help deliver valuable skills, expertise and services to individuals and the community alike.”

Elspeth Mackenzie, Chief Executive

Find out more about each of these organisations by visiting their websites.

Further details on Thrive GIVE and how to apply for funding is available here.