£75,000 fund for community projects in Elephant & Castle opens for applications

24 May 2022

A £75,000 fund for local projects in Elephant & Castle has now opened for applications. Grants ranging from £500 to £10,000 are available for community projects that benefit people who live, work or study in the local area. One grant of up to £20,000 may be awarded to one organisation to deliver over 24 months.

This is the tenth round of funding available from the initiative set up in 2012 by Southwark Council and international property and infrastructure group Lendlease to support the local community. They are working in partnership on the delivery of Elephant Park, a £2.5bn redevelopment project in the heart of Elephant & Castle. This year Get Living, the property management group behind the Elephant Central development, has also joined the partnership and the total fund available has increased from £50,000 to £75,000.

To be eligible, applicants must show how their project addresses a local need and one of the following themes: Further Education, Skill Building, Training & Entrepreneurship; Arts and Culture; Environment; Young People; Wellbeing. 

The fund is managed on their behalf by The London Community Foundation and has donated nearly £350,000 to the community over the last nine years.

One of last year’s recipients, dt17 at Pembroke House, used their grant to deliver dance training to over 50 children from the local area, developing their physical skills and also social and emotional ones too.

Ella Frampton, dt17 project lead, Pembroke House, one of last year’s recipients, said: "With the generous support of the Elephant and Castle Community Fund, this year dt17 has provided dance training to over 50 children from the local area. Whilst undoubtedly focusing on developing physical skills, our classes support children to develop healthy social and emotional skills too. Learning to trust themselves and each other, developing confidence and assertiveness through learning to collaborate and compete. Excitingly, this support has enabled dt17 to develop a new partnership with a local school, providing additional high quality dance training for pupils alongside their academic studies."

Councillor Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Development, said: “Elephant and Castle has an incredible community spirit thanks to a diverse range of local groups and projects. This pot of money is all about supporting the fantastic work they do to deliver real benefits for everyone living, working and studying in the area. We are thrilled that there’s even more funding available in the scheme’s tenth year that will further help to grow this work.”

Lendlease’s Project Director for Elephant Park, Kristy Lansdown, said: “Over the last decade the Elephant & Castle Community Fund has supported a broad range of projects that benefit those who live, work or study in the area; and we’re looking forward to receiving this year’s applications.”

Ailish Christian-West, Executive Director of Development and ESG at Get Living, said: “We’re delighted that the Elephant and Castle Community Fund has launched again this month. As a recognition of the inspiring work that the fund has been able to support across a variety of initiatives and local projects, Get Living is proud to be contributing £25,000 to further support the dynamic range of groups and individuals in the local area.

“We hope that this additional funding, along with the variety of initiatives including the community hub launching in the area later this year, will bring together and support local people.”

For more information or to apply, visit www.londoncf.org.uk/grants/elephant-castle-community-fund Applications must be made by 5pm on Monday 13 June 2022.

Page last updated: 24 May 2022