Meridian Water supports local community groups to improve lives in Edmonton

Projects will help to support Edmonton residents and promote diversity and inclusion in the community.Launched in November 2021, the Meridian Water Community Chest Fund provides financial support for projects that will contribute to the growth and development of the local area, improving the day-today life of residents.The first tranche will give almost £317k to local groups to deliver exciting projects in their community. The fund is made up of contributions from private sector partners working on the Meridian Water project.Enfield Council anticipates that future Meridian Water partners will top up the funds available allowing for further funding opportunities at regular intervals. The next round for bids has been announced for the Autumn of 2022. Those that weren’t awarded funding this time will be allowed to apply again, and the Council will also encourage bids from those that haven’t applied this time around to bid in the future.The Community Chest ensures that residents of Edmonton are the primary beneficiaries of the £6bn Meridian Water project, which will deliver 10,000 new homes and 6,000 quality jobs for local people.

Enfield Council’s Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “Our Community Chest Fund demonstrates that Enfield Council as well as building new homes and creating decent jobs for local people is investing through the Community Chest to improve lives of residents.

“The private sector has a social and moral responsibility to the communities in which they are working and this fund will allow real improvements to be made by community groups and not-for-profits.”The successful applicants were selected from 59 applications by the Meridian Water Community Panel comprised of senior officers of the council along with community representatives.

The funding was confirmed following the first round of bids for money from the Community Chest Fund, which is made up of contributions from private sector partners, including Vistry Partnerships, Vinci Taylor Woodrow, Stace LLP and Elementa Consulting. These partners have been procured by the Council to work on Meridian Water and have contributed to the Community Chest through their social value commitments.

Project bids were assessed by a set of criteria detailed in Enfield Council’s Poverty & Inequality Commission Report. Criteria included whether the projects improved a physical area within a community, improving opportunity for local people, particularly around employment, improved life chances for young people, and lastly addressed health inequalities.

The 19 winning project bids are:

10th Edmonton Scout Group (a scout trip to the Peak District for young people in Edmonton)
Fleecefield Primary School (creation of new playground signage to support language development)
Enfield Club House (creation of a new series of pottery workshops)
Children First Academy Trust (a day trip for 60 primary school children in Edmonton to experience activities beyond their usual reach in both cost and access)
Eldon Primary School (funding the new Eldon Art Club to enable to development of children’s artistic skills, creativity and confidence)
FUTURE CHALLENGES (creation of new employment workshops aimed at 26 young adults/ ex-offenders in Edmonton)
1st Edmonton Boys Brigade and Girls Association (provision of new outdoor equipment to support the promotion of healthier lifestyles and outdoor activities for young people)
21K Digital Media Ltd (projects to help increase employability skills within the young BAME community in Edmonton)
Third Age Foundation (creation of a new multi-cultural, diverse and inclusive choir)
St John & St James Primary School (creation of a community mural project in Edmonton)
Edmonton Community Partnership (creation of new sensory rooms in up to six primary schools in Edmonton. Extensive training provided for staff)
North Star Community Trust (partnership with Age UK Enfield to increase engagement with the older community)
Face Front Inclusive Theatre (a new free weekly theatre and performance group for people who are isolated and/or disabled living in Edmonton)
The Gifted Organisation Limited (Work with residents of Edmonton to train them as project workers who will then deliver the Butterfly and Enterprise Wing programme in schools and community settings to over 200 vulnerable young women)
Bread n Butter CIC London (to provide a 3-tiered healthy eating lifestyle programme (H.E.L.P) for predominantly BAME residents local to Edmonton Green)
Legacy and DJ MC Academy (a programme developed to raise awareness about education and employment with the music industry)
Jazanne Arts CIC (work with diverse isolated older people and vulnerable children through creative activities to create a performance/sharing about their common locality entitled ‘My home’)
London CC CIC (tackle transport poverty and inequality by providing residents with the use of bikes via a long-term bike loan scheme together with follow up cycle training)
34Bus CIC (The Brighter Passage project will create a community mural in a rundown underpass on an estate in Upper Edmonton which is used regularly by members of the public. Through a participatory design process, they will work with the local residents, in particular the local youth who live on the estate to transform this underpass into a bright, colourful and unique piece of art that the local community can take ownership and have pride in)
Allocations range from £1,000 to £59,000 and Enfield Council expects work to start on these projects in the near future.

The projects funded from the Community Chest will help achieve the aims of the Council’s A Lifetime of Opportunities and deliver the 27 recommendations contained in the Enfield Poverty and Inequality Commission Report.For progress on the winning projects, follow Enfield Council on social media, @EnfieldCouncil on Twitter and @EnfieldCouncilUK on Facebook.