Thousands in funding available for community projects across Oldham

Bids for a share of the fund are invited now

A share of a £450,000 community fund is available for residents and groups in Oldham.

The Jigsaw Foundation fund was set up in 2019 by housing provider Jigsaw Homes Group, which manages 35,000 homes across the North West and East Midlands.

Now, applications are being considered for the 2023 fund and Oldham residents, groups and charities to fund projects that make a difference to lives within their communities.

Over the last four years more than £45,000 has been given to groups across Oldham.

In 2022, Young Enterprise received £37,487.00 in funding to deliver a range of careers and enterprise workshops to high schools and sixth form colleges across Oldham, Manchester and Tameside over a two year span.

Viv Couche, Philanthropy Manager at Young Enterprise said, “Young Enterprise and the Jigsaw Foundation share the same goals of making a difference to our local communities and enabling young people to achieve their true potential, whatever their starting point.

“Jigsaw’s support has been instrumental in raising aspirations and increasing young people’s readiness for the future world of work.”

The fund has also provided:

• £3,000 to My Coldhurst – a football coaching project to reach out to children throughout Jigsaw’s neighbourhoods in Oldham.
• £2,750 to Spring Brook Academy – a grant to fund forest school equipment, including campfire cooking, waterproof clothing and a pull-along trolley, for a specialist school in Oldham.
• £1,894 to Community Revival UK – a training provider helping to deliver ESOL classes to residents.
• Since its inception, foodbanks, local theatres, befriending services, community gardens, youth clubs, school workshops, sports activities, community centres and social enterprise start-ups have all benefitted from the Jigsaw Foundation.

Sarah Keenan, Jigsaw Foundation, Rewards and Scrutiny Manager at Jigsaw Homes Group said: “The Jigsaw Foundation has continuously been a real support system to those in our local communities by ensuring a wide range of projects can receive a transformative amount of funding that they may not have otherwise had access to.

“I am proud that we can continue to enrich the lives of our residents thanks to the positive impact of the projects we support and continue to invest in our neighbourhoods, especially in these challenging times.”

Applications from resident groups, local or charity projects, voluntary organisations, social enterprises and partner agencies are welcome now via the Jigsaw Foundation website.

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