NEWS: Groundwork and Bupa Foundation publish Green Community Grants impact report
Groundwork and the Bupa Foundation have released an impact report to celebrate the achievements of the first round of Bupa Foundation Green Community Grants programme.
Between 2023-24, the Bupa Foundation invested more than £500,000 in Green Community Grants as part of Bupa’s #HealthyCities initiative to make deep impact in local communities – making places and spaces greener and empowering 163 schools and 76 community groups to put their green ideas into action.
The report highlights some of the 239 impactful projects that have been funded via the programme, including achievements such as the creation of 158 new open spaces and improvement of 258 existing spaces.
Alive Activities Ltd in Bristol was one such project that improved the local environment, whilst increasing access to the outdoors for older people and those living with dementia.
A spokesperson from Alive Activities Ltd said:
“We anticipate supporting 60 older people living with dementia and their carers in the first six-months of session delivery. The allotment space when we were given it was very neglected, overgrown with weeds, and not securely fenced. The funding has enabled us to improve the space, install new fencing and a timber pagoda, together with benches, tables, chairs and gardening equipment to make the space safe and accessible for older people living with dementia.”
In County Armagh in Northern Ireland, Crossfire Trust received a grant to deliver gardening workshops to beneficiaries with complex mental health needs. The project helps people maintain sobriety and a home, improve health and wellbeing, access treatments and rehabilitation, and reduce reoffending.
A Crossfire Trust participant said:
“I came to Crossfire Trust in 2023 when I had been sofa surfing and in a hostel. It was amazing to have a bed to sleep in, people around me who were helpful and kind, and to be put in touch with other services who could help me. I really can’t overstate how transformational it was. I am eating healthier food and volunteering with Crossfire Trust charity in their food bank and care van. I intend to help others now and improve lives.”
To date, the projects have directly impacted more than 140,000 people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
We’re delighted to be able to support such a diverse array of community-led projects, all of them making a huge difference to the quality of life in their local area and taken together, demonstrating that people of all ages and backgrounds are committed to tackling the climate and nature crises.
Graham Duxbury, Groundwork’s UK Chief Executive
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to see the hundreds of projects we funded in 2023 come to life – from community gardens and food growing spaces, to outdoor classrooms and forest schools – helping benefit thousands of people. We’d like to thank everyone involved on the ground who made these projects happen. We’re really pleased to expand the programme in 2024 with a further £550,000 in grants. This means we’ll have donated over £1m in less than two years, helping to building healthier, greener communities.”
Stuart Brown, Chair of the Bupa Foundation
The programme opened for a second round of funding between 1 June – 3 July 2024 with grants available for projects focused on the regeneration of green spaces in cities for community use, such as tree planting, the creation of an outdoor classroom or ‘forest school’ or establishing a community allotment or garden.
To date, the Bupa Foundation has invested over £1M in green grants to hundreds of local schools and community groups.
Notes to Editors
For more information please contact: media@groundwork.org.uk
About Groundwork
Groundwork is a federation of charities with a collective mission to take practical action to create a fair and green future in which people, places, and nature thrive. We support communities and businesses to build capacity and resilience in order to tackle hardship, achieve a just transition to net-zero and help nature recover in a way that reduces inequality and leads to healthier, happier lives for all: www.groundwork.org.uk
