More than £1.1million is being made available for local communities in Lewisham.

25 community projects will receive money from Lewisham Council’s borough-wide Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) fund.

It follows a meeting of Mayor and Cabinet last week.

Nearly £900,000 will be made available to projects across Lewisham, with an additional £260,000 secured in match funding from other organisations.

Funding has been targeted towards projects which help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, provide mentoring to young people in the borough, support people with learning disabilities or mental health issues to find employment opportunities, and assist Lewisham’s recovery from COVID-19.

A number of groups are receiving funding from the Council for the first time, including several BAME-led organisations.

The money comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which the Council charges on new developments in the borough.

A portion of this money is allocated as Neighbourhood CIL (NCIL) and used to support community projects which benefit local residents.

Community groups that will be funded by the borough-wide NCIL fund include:

- The Rio Ferdinand Foundation, running regular evening and weekend activities for young people in Lewisham, in partnership with Grove Park Youth Club, with a focus on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

- Ignition Brewery, working with Lewisham Mencap to secure employment opportunities for local residents with learning disabilities and encourage inclusive employment practices across the borough.

- Second Wave, a BAME-led organisation delivering workshops, training and events to young people in Lewisham, with a particular focus on supporting young women facing sexual harassment, intimidation or violence.

- TLG Lewisham Education Centre, delivering therapeutic support to young people at risk of youth violence, helping to reduce youth violence, school exclusions and improve wellbeing and educational attainment.

- Catbytes, promoting digital inclusion across the borough by providing training, devices and support to help residents get online and close the digital divide.

Councillor Kim Powell, Cabinet Member for Business and Community Wealth Building, said: “I am very proud that we are funding such a diverse range of community projects with this money, including a number of BAME-led organisations.

"From tackling youth violence to supporting people with learning disabilities, these initiatives will help thousands of local residents across Lewisham.

“Despite the cuts we are facing from central Government, we are continuing to invest in our local communities and support our voluntary and community sector.”

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