Wandsworth charities set to “make a real difference to local communities” with support from Tideway

Charities and social enterprises supporting young people, families in food poverty and vulnerable groups across Wandsworth have been given a boost by grants from the organisation building London’s new ‘super sewer’.

Tideway - the company delivering the super sewer to help stop sewage pollution in the River Thames - has been investing in community projects near its construction sites across London.

With six sites in the borough, a special fund was developed and promoted with support from Wandsworth Council to help charities in the area deliver programmes benefiting the community.

Five charities will benefit from Tideway funding for their programmes, which will run for up to six months. The charities, which are looking for local people to get involved, are:

• Bags of Taste - a social enterprise based across London which helps people in poverty to achieve an improved and healthier diet on a low budget.
• Enable Leisure and Culture - provides leisure and cultural services for Wandsworth communities.
• Waste Not Want Not Battersea - collects surplus fruit and vegetables and other produce from nearby markets and distributes it to the local community and youth centres.
• World Heart Beat Music Academy - a charity supporting young people through music.
• The Katherine Low Settlement (KLS) - a longstanding Wandsworth charity which supports young people, families, older people, women and refugee communities and whose premises is a local hub for about 45 other charities and community.

Volunteers from Waste Not Want Not Battersea, one of the charity initiatives benefiting from Tideway support

Kelly Bradley, Tideway’s Community Investment Manager, said: “We felt this was a fantastic opportunity to help support people in the area, especially at a time when we are experiencing so many changes and challenges in our daily lives.  I am looking forward to working with our new charity partners and hope these projects will provide a deep and meaningful impact to those who get involved.”

Emily Standring, Fundraising Manager for KLS, which will support 75 young people at after-school clubs with an environmental focus linked to the Thames, said: “We are so excited to get our young people out on the banks of the Thames, one of KLS’s closest neighbours, learning about how essential the river is to the lives and work of Londoners.”

Cllr Kim Caddy, Wandsworth Council's cabinet member for finance, corporate resources and climate sustainability said: “We were delighted to support Tideway in developing this fund and we’re pleased to see so many brilliant local projects getting support. This will make a real difference to local communities in Wandsworth.” 

The charities applied for funding and were selected by Tideway’s Community Investment and Charitable Giving Committee.

Local residents can get more information on support available and programmes by visiting www.bagsoftaste.org, www.enablelc.org, www.wastenotwantnot-battersea.org, www.worldheartbeat.org or www.klsettlement.org.uk