Small Grants Scheme

Grants assist local community organisations with activities, resources and small projects. The maximum grant is normally £500 and in 2003/04 the Trust made a total of £15,000 available.

Groups applying must:-

• Be a charity
• Serve residents of the Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
• Be unlikely to get a grant elsewhere
• Agree to report back on the use of the grant

So what are you waiting for? For details and an application form, contact us on 020 8962 5720 or email help@westway.org

Portobello Market Charity Stalls

Free stalls are available to local charities. These can be used to raise awareness, increase participation or for fundraising.

For more details contact help@westway.org

Recent small grant awards

Examples of recent small grants given by the Trust:

MAKING A SPLASH

The Trust gave a small grant to Swinbrook Nursery to help with the cost of the outdoor play area. Maria Mediavilla of the nursery explains what this has meant:

"The Nursery has benefited greatly from the water and sand equipment funded by the Trust. The children now have access to a variety of play equipment that has helped in the development of their pre-writing stages, such as mark-making and the aqua-play water castle has provided an additional resource for their maths and science skills. Thanks again for your support."

NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS

Mark Elie Dance Foundation Production of Nutcracker Suite. Neil Crichton-Miller from the dance foundation explains how the Trust helped:

"The grant was used to pay a choreographer to direct 35 children in an excerpt from the Nutcracker Suite. These children were all pupils of the Mark Elie Dance School who had taken classes throughout the term.

The performance was part of the annual Christmas Presentation which took place in the Tabernacle Theatre. The children also performed six demonstrations of other works all this to a 200-strong audience of family and friends.

This grant meant that the children had an exciting challenge to meet at the end of term, one that gave point to all the exercises that they do routinely throughout the year".

"It's a BIG, BIG World!" Notting Hill Nursery Carnival

Lee Woolford Chivers of the Children & Parents Carnival Association explains how the Trust's small grant (plus administrative and organisational support) for this event was put to good use:

"The nurseries, playgroups, Mothers and Toddlers clubs worked very hard this year with their own outburst of cultural tributes to the theme 'Golden Times', reflecting the Queens Jubilee this year. The array of colours, flags, costumes and cultures was fantastic and it makes one feel very proud to be a member of the community. We had over 200 children for the costume competition and it was very hard to pick a winner. The children enjoyed a variety of entertainment and at the end of the day we had an award ceremony to thank the people and organisations who have helped us over the years. It was indeed a wonderful day."

DANCING TO THE MUSIC OF LOVE

Romance was in the air for pensioners who attended two days of parties to celebrate Valentine's Day. The Trust supported the events with a small grant. Cynthia Dize of Sixty Plus explains how:

"The Valentines parties organised by Sixty Plus, The Open Age Project and the Venture Centre took place on the afternoons of February 9th and 10th. Around 200 older people from the W10 and W11 areas attended. Transport was provided for those with mobility problems and this was taken up by a greater number than in previous years.

The entertainment was much appreciated. There was dancing to the tunes of the 1940's and 1950's while Sunday was for Karaoke fans. The dance floor was full and, as one partygoer said, "dancing makes you forget your aches and pains". We managed to get a number of donated raffle prizes and had a quiz each afternoon.

As well as having fun on a couple of gloomy February afternoons, the event gave an opportunity to spread the word about our organisations. Getting out and about on winter afternoons and at weekends is difficult for many older people due to fear of crime, disability or frailty. An event such as this, with transport and escorts provided, offers an opportunity to enjoy the company of others and feel part of the wider world. Thanks to the Trust once more for supporting our efforts".