Three local projects were successful in the December round of the Innovation Fund with projects commencing in 2023. A total sum of £59,500.00 will be awarded to enable local VCSE organisations to pilot new projects that support Bromley residents.

Project 1: The Hygiene Bank (Bromley)

The Hygiene Bank Bromley provides support to residents in need, with the distribution of hygiene products in schools, foodbanks, homeless shelters etc.

Offers of donations are always welcome and please contact The Hygiene Bank at Bromley@thehygienebank.com

Quote from The Hygiene Bank:

"Thanks to funding from the Bromley Council and NHS SE Innovation Fund received in 2023, we have been able to secure storage and have been able to increase our capacity and meet growing demand.
 
Because we now have storage and the capability to receive pallets of products we are now able to take advantage of free bulk, brand donations secured by agreements between our Head Office and large brand supporters like Boots, Method cleaning products, smol laundry products, Tresemme haircare etc.  So far this year, we have received almost 3 times the value in goods that our storage costs, which is a big return on the investment in storage.
 
The funding has also allowed us to increase our coverage to support all of the foodbanks on Bromley Council’s website, and arrange bi-weekly pick ups of products the foodbanks need, rather than previously just giving them what we had.  This saves the foodbanks from having to buy products like toilet paper and shower gels, which they can then spend on food for the ever growing number of families coming to them for support.
 
And now that we have secured funding for 2023, we can look beyond just ‘feeding the need’, to proactively supporting better health outcomes for Bromley residents through a series of planned ‘campaigns’."

 

Project 2: GoodGym Social Visits

This project aims to provide support in helping to reducing loneliness, by introducing volunteers to residents in need of companionship. In addition to the benefit of social interaction for both parties, the project has dual benefits in that the client receives regular visits, whilst the volunteer will improve their physical activity by walking, jogging, running, or cycling to their meeting with the client.   

Volunteers to support these and many other projects are always welcome and in the first instance please register your interest on the Community Links Bromley Volunteer Database highlighting the area of interest for your volunteering offer.

 

Project 3: St. Christopher’s Hospice, Homelessness Palliative Care

This project aims to build capacity and capability in Bromley, by training palliative care champions within organisations to support homeless persons with palliative and end of life care needs.