£30k awarded by housing association to boost community projects

Fifteen community projects have been boosted by £30,000 of funding from a Witney housing association in the last year.

Cottsway Housing uses its Community Fund to support the work of individuals, charities, and voluntary groups.

Among the recipients of the financial support for 2023-24 was Transition Chipping Norton, which was awarded £2,500 for its Youth4Future project.

The project allows children and young people to take part in free activities centred around nature, the environment, and sustainable living.

Elsewhere, Home-Start Banbury, Bicester, and Chipping Norton received £1,690 towards their one-to-one family support project, aimed at enhancing parents' self-confidence.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Submarine charity received £1,970 to refresh its café area at the Windrush Leisure Centre in Witney.

The cafe provides traineeship programmes for young people with learning disabilities and autism.

Pat Box, manager of Yellow Submarine's Witney Café, said: "We’re so grateful for Cottsway helping us out when our milkshake and smoothie machine suddenly needed replacing recently, and for its wonderful, continuing support over the years."

Lorna Jones, Cottsway's community investment officer, added: “It’s so encouraging that we are able to help fund so many worthwhile causes through our community fund – it makes a real difference to the people around us and its lovely to be able to play a part in positively impacting the community."

Cottsway has now opened its Community Fund for 2024-25 applications, with another £30,000 up for grabs.