Our Residential business awards £45,000 to Brent community groups through new Community Chest
Our Residential business awards £45,000 to Brent community groups through new Community Chest
Our Residential business has awarded a total of £45,000 to seven local organisations in Brent through its newly launched Community Chest – an initiative designed to support grassroots projects working to address local needs.
The fund backs small, community-led groups providing practical support to residents across a range of areas, including social isolation, youth provision, mental health and employment. Each organisation received a tailored amount of funding based on its proposal and planned impact.
The Community Chest is one of several social value initiatives we are delivering in Brent alongside the Wembley Housing Zone, a regeneration programme with Brent Council that will create 291 new homes. Over the next 2.5 years, we will distribute a total of £300,000 through the Community Chest, with additional investment focused on education, employment and wider community support.
The first round of funding is expected to benefit over 1,100 people through projects including multilingual health clinics, youth sessions, creative training for women, climate-focused education and volunteer development, as well as initiatives supporting children from non-English speaking households and diverting 500kg of waste from landfill.
Applications for the next round of Community Chest funding are expected to open in Q4 2025, with an official date to be announced on our website and social media channels. Submissions will be made through the ActionFunder platform.
We’ve seen first-hand the passion, creativity and care that Brent’s grassroots organisations bring to their communities. These groups are deeply trusted. They often step in where support is needed most, helping young people, tackling loneliness and creating safe, welcoming spaces.
“Through our work on the Wembley Housing Zone and previous projects in Brent, we’ve had the privilege of getting to know many of them. Supporting these organisations through our Community Chest is about more than funding. It’s about helping them continue the work that holds Brent’s communities together.”
Paul Nicholls
Regional Managing Director for London
Brent is home to an incredible network of grassroots organisations that work tirelessly to support our residents. The Wates Community Chest fund is helping to grow local solutions to local challenges, enabling these groups to make an even bigger impact. It’s inspiring to see real benefits being delivered beyond the bricks and mortar, building stronger, more connected communities across the borough.”
Cllr Jake Rubin
Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Community Power
