The Mayor of London has deployed extra funds amounting to £500,000 for communities recovering from the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under a new fund launched by Sadiq Khan, Make London, will support the delivery of a range of recovery projects led by the city’s communities. These initiatives will help improve public spaces, support community hubs and town centres, promote grass-roots culture and bring people together safely.
Smaller-scale projects will be able to pitch for support up to £5,000, while larger initiatives will be eligible for as much as £50,000. The money will be drawn from Sadiq’s £6.6 million Recovery Fund, which is part of his wider work to support London’s long-term recovery from the impact of coronavirus.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said, “Coronavirus has had an impact on every Londoner and every area of our city, often with lower-income and ethnically diverse communities the hardest hit. We have already seen an incredible response to this challenging time from Londoners of all backgrounds. I firmly believe it is our communities who have the most innovative ideas on how to emerge from the pandemic and bring our city together.”
The programme follows the recent launch of the Mayor’s Community Spaces at Risk Fund, which gives emergency advice and funding to venues facing closure due to the pandemic. Open to Londoners, mutual aid groups, charities, business improvement districts and social enterprises, the scheme will use the well-established crowdfunding model – this also enables groups to secure additional funding from other bodies including local authorities, private companies, and a range of voluntary and philanthropic organisations. The Spacehive platform, which helps deliver Crowdfund London, will also be used to support applications to Make London.
CEO of Spacehive, Misha Dhanak, said, “Amid all the challenges this year, the way people have reconnected with their local area – and with each other – has been really inspiring. Communities across the capital are teeming with ideas for what their area needs and Make London is about channelling and supporting that creativity.
“Spacehive is proud to work in partnership with the Mayor to deliver this programme and can't wait to help Londoners bring their ideas to life.”
