Work in the community goes ahead during lockdown thanks to grant aid.
National Lottery grants have enabled Witton Lodge Community Association to extend its service provision and create a range of new support services.
Over the last twelve months funding has been allocated to help deliver activities across a number of areas including crucial Covid-19 support, Health and Wellbeing, Employment and Skills, Community Life and Volunteering.
Rob Netherway, Flourishing Community Services Manager for Witton Lodge, said the money has been invested to provide opportunities for learning, development and engagement. “With the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s been a year like no other, where new challenges have arisen that community-led organisations like Witton Lodge have responded to,” he said.
“Thanks to funding from the National Lottery we have been able to stay open, put infrastructure in place to adapt our services and expand support in new ways for people across North Birmingham.
“The money has enabled us to develop an effective response to Covid-19 in our communities, providing targeted support to over 450 people in areas such as digital skills training, a digital lending library, financial support and advice, virtual mental health support groups, health inequality such as improving nutrition, home activities and exciting training courses to develop volunteers and jobseekers. The flexibility of the grants and understanding of the funders has allowed us to respond both imaginatively and creatively to the needs in our communities, enabling our services to flourish.
“We have built a better understanding of our communities, spoken to hundreds of new people to learn more about their aspirations and skills – and reached a wider part of our communities too. We are more resilient as an organisation now and able to respond pro-actively to future emerging needs too. We are now reflecting on what we have learned from these programmes and what we will take forward to keep growing our community service programme for everyone in our community to be part of.”
Details of current services & activities can be found here
If you would like to know more about current provision call 0121 382 1930, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
