A group of people drumming

Published: Tuesday, 7th May 2024

Thirty-five community groups are celebrating the news that they will receive funding from the Greenwich Neighbourhood Growth Fund to improve their local neighbourhoods.

Nearly £539k of funding will be shared between the community groups, to deliver improvements including upgrading and expanding facilities for education, sports and leisure.

Projects funded in the sixth round include: 

  • creating a new theatre at Eltham Hill School
  • delivering a summer family festival at the Greenwich Peninsula
  • installing new a kitchen at Charlton Hall and
  • supporting a community group in Abbey Wood for mothers with children with disabilities

The funding comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a scheme which allows councils to raise money from developments and provide new or improved infrastructure for the local community.

Cllr Aidan Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “I was delighted to see such a wide variety of projects submitted this year. Forty-five projects were shortlisted from wards all over the borough. These groups all play a very valuable role in their local community, providing activities and advice that everyone can benefit from or take part in, and the Council is proud to be able to support their work.”

The votes from local community members played a key part in deciding which projects would be funded, along with consideration of the quality of the applications, value for money and how the community would benefit.

Since the Council launched the fund, it has awarded over £2.5 million to 157 projects across the borough. This round funding is split between four neighbourhood areas: Eltham and Kidbrooke; Blackheath and Greenwich; Charlton and Woolwich and Abbey Wood, and Plumstead and Thamesmead.

The decision is subject to call in until 13 May 2024.