Local groups and charities to receive a share of £600,000 to transform community spaces

Our charity, the Asda Foundation, is awarding grants totalling more than £600,000 to 31 local groups, charities and good causes to transform community spaces and places.

One group to benefit is Champions Community Sport & Health CIC in Leeds, who received a grant for £21,225 to transform their hut and outdoor space into a revitalised facility for community activities. Funding is needed to carry out building repairs and development both internally and externally to create a new, usable community space for children and young people.

The group was set up in 2020 on a mission to make sport available to all children and young people, regardless of age, ability or background.

A large proportion of children were unable to access traditional sports clubs due to financial limitations and were becoming inactive, hungry, socially isolated, and in some cases, involved in anti-social behaviour.

To address this, the group launched free turn up and play football sessions which includes breakfast and lunch. Sessions run weekly and through the school holidays to provide access to sport and food during the school break. Through football and other activity, this group has been able to open the door to support families struggling with food provision and offers a youth development and coaching programme to give young people additional skills and qualifications.

Paige Twidale, manager at our Middleton store, who supported the grant application, said: "It's such a great group. I popped down to see them all and I was amazed. It's wonderful to see that some of the children who had been there a while are now helpers and assisting the younger ones to achieve."

Sharon Kingswood, community champion at our nearby Dewsbury store, added: "The work this group does with young people through sport is inspiring and Asda Foundation funding will have a huge impact in our community.

"The group is helping to grow and teach the next generation that despite the obstacles they face, with hard work and perseverance, they can achieve whatever they set out to. Funding will help to transform the hut, making it safe, secure and accessible to more people long into the future.”

And Sam Gilmore, project manager at Community Champions Sport & Health CIC, said: "Thank you Asda Foundation for putting your faith in our little project and allowing us to flourish. Sport is so important to children and young people in our local community, helping to build community spirit, improving physical and mental health, creating connections and breaking down barriers. This funding will help take our support for the local community to the next level, the enhanced space will help us to provide a better-quality service and support more people from the local community, including older people."

The Spaces and Places grants range between £10,000 and £25,000 and funding can be used for renovations, repairs or transforming outdoor spaces, with projects ranging from upgrading a community kitchen and café, to roof repairs, to refurbishing a whole community building to improve accessibility, to creating an outdoor nature and sensory trail.

Nationally, community investment is at an all-time low and the challenges being faced in communities are complex and bigger than ever. It is often small, grassroots groups which become a lifeline for many, but funding is needed to ensure the vital spaces from which they operate don’t vanish from local communities and are supported to ensure these spaces are here not only for today, but for generations to come.

Other groups to receive funding include:

Grounded Manchester CIC, above, will use a £15,000 grant to create a café and event space which will allow them to train, employ and bring the local community together.

The group was set up in 2021 to train vulnerable adults – especially those struggling with their mental health – in barista and hospitality skills. They offer an inclusive, welcoming space for people to meet, and the café will be an extension of that.

Harry Yarnell, community champion at our Longsight store, said: "The impact this grant will have on our local community is immense. This group is taking a different approach to employment, building confidence and skills, and giving people who struggle with anxiety the chance to be completely themselves at work. Not only does the group train and employ people but Grounded Manchester CIC is a welcoming space for people from the local community to be together. I'm so glad they got the funding from the Asda Foundation because they are an amazing group.”

And Natalie, Co-Founder of Grounded Manchester CIC, said: "I was shocked and bowled over when we received the grant from the Asda Foundation. I'm feeling an immense amount of gratitude. The Asda Foundation funding will make such a huge difference by enabling us to create a really sustainable space in the community. This is what community is – people chatting and supporting each other – and thanks to this grant we will be able to accommodate more people with a new outside space and support vulnerable adults. Thank you to Asda’s Community Champion Harry for supporting us through the application process and to Asda Foundation for this life-changing amount of money!”

West Wellbeing Suicide Prevention in Belfast, above, received an Asda Foundation grant for £25,000 to create an extra safe space for delivering vital services.

The charity delivers a range of services including art therapy and counselling to support adults, children and families affected by or experiencing poor mental health.

The funding will enable it to increase its number of counselling and therapy rooms, helping to double its capacity, meet increased demand for services and secure the long-term sustainability of their vital services.

Sharon McBratney, community champion at our Dundonald store, said: "This group is delivering such important work and the grant will make a huge difference. This amazing local charity helps families and children who have been affected by suicide and this funding will enable the group to support even more people.”

Desy Jones, Director of Care at the charity, said: "We really appreciate everything you’ve done for us. This Asda Foundation grant will enable us to extend our services by creating an extra safe space to deliver our work. We want to be able to help so many more families and help people individually, this grant gives us a much better workspace and will help us reach our full potential. It’s not often I’m stumped for words, but I really am. Thank you, Asda Foundation!”

Butterfly Effect Wellbeingreceived an Asda Foundation grant for £25,000 which goes a long way to achieving their goal of £60,000 to renovate an existing building to meet the group's expanding needs.

The group have outgrown their current community hub as demand for their services has increased rapidly.

Butterfly effect wellbeing is a non-judgmental group that offers space to listen, accept, encourage and support those that need it.

The group’s community hub is open daily and offers a variety of activities to help those experiencing mental ill health and also on a social aspect. These currently include meditation, sound therapy, craft groups, women’s groups, men’s groups, cooking on a budget, baby and me sessions, children’s support groups, and chill ‘n’ chat for teenagers, social support groups, SOBS, sing-a-long with me, walk and talk, stroll n snap. They also offer food on various days for anyone to collect, to help with the cost of living.

Angela Hannibal, founder of the group, added: “I’m still in disbelief and lost for words after receiving the news we were successful for funding from the Asda Foundation, this means so much to us! We are here to offer interim help for those with mental ill health, as there is currently a long wait list. We hope this will cut down the suicide rate, as this is very high in Harlow. We want to continue helping people in the current crisis and offer somewhere safe to come to and feel part of the community.

"This grant will enable us to expand and grow our community space to make it more inclusive, bigger and better. We will have a bigger building and outdoor space, meaning that we will be able to help so many more people in the community.

"This money means we can improve the quality of the service we offer and create a more inviting and accessible space for the local people who use it. We will have a secure garden for families to come together, as many have no outside space. This grant also future proofs our work so we can continue to offer our services long into the future. Thank you for making this possible."

Gemma Dennis, community champion at Asda Harlow, said: “I was thrilled to be able to present this amazing group with Asda Foundation funding, it was a great moment and I will never forget it. This group is already a huge benefit to people in our town, this funding to help create a permanent base will have a massive impact on our community and mean even more groups and activities can use the new space!”

Alexandra Preston, Senior Manager for Asda Foundation, said: "Every community needs a safe inclusive space for people to be together and be themselves. Community spaces can be a lifeline, but we know many are in desperate need of funding to maintain, develop and repair these spaces to enable community groups to continue delivering their vital services and activities. That’s where Asda Foundation can help with funding. We want to continue playing our part in uniting communities and reducing loneliness by improving community spaces for people to be together."

Here's a full list of the 31 successful groups below who are receiving an Asda Foundation Investing in Spaces and Places grant: