Crawley and Horsham community centres set to benefit as ‘Southern Water Community Energy Grants’ are awarded

The Community Energy Grant is delivered in partnership with our delivery partner CMDP (Costain, MWH Treatment) and is open to independently run community centres and spaces where activities such as local food banks, support groups and children’s programmes operate. Since the scheme was launched in October, we have been inundated with applications for support with energy bills from community centres and spaces including social pantries, homeless drop-in spaces and arts centres. These are home to a wide range of events, support groups, classes, winter warmer spaces and befriender clubs.

Alongside the grant, the hubs will receive support from Southern Water’s community, affordability and vulnerability teams, who deliver talks and advice on topics such as saving money on bills.

One centre will also be selected to receive a comprehensive water audit of its building and advice about how to reduce its water costs in Spring 2023.

Four grants, each with a total of £1,000, are being awarded in each of South’s five counties. Offering a total of £20,000 funding. This support will go towards energy costs, helping relieve the pressure that community spaces face staying open during winter months. The centres that have been awarded the community grant in North West Sussex are: St John’s Church Crawley (The Bridge Café) and Horsham Matters.

The funding pots remain open in East Sussex, West Sussex and the Isle of Wight for further applications till 15th January 2023 via the website.

Southern Water’s Community Partnerships and Programme Manager, Alex Willumsen said: “We know that times are hard for many customers now, in the face of a cost-of-living crisis, so we are determined to do what we can to build resilience and support for those facing challenges in our community.

“Through our grants scheme, which aims to support both customers experiencing hardship and our communities, we are providing funding support to enable community spaces to continue to operate over winter months and support the work of those supporting young people in our communities to thrive.”

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Further grants under the Community Grant Scheme will be launched in the coming months, to find out more, email [email protected] or visit: https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/what-if-i-can-t-pay-my-bill