Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 1 Appendix 3.1 Theme 1 - Tackling Cost of Living Crisis Scheme A - Advice, information and crisis support ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG Rating 8662 The Felix Project Supporting residents of Tower Hamlets who are in Crisis to get access to nutritious food Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring demonstrates that project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Providing nutritious food and meals for 40,000 people in Tower Hamlets – each year – who are currently facing food insecurity and hunger. Working with 80 community partners in the borough to help people in crisis. Progress Update Project has made good progress and outperformed against its KPIs. Between November 2023 to March 2024 (five months) it has delivered: * 730,730 meals against an annual target of 1,200,000 (achieved 61% of annual target) * Supported 60 community organisations against a 5-month target of 27 community organisations (222% achievement rate) * Provided food of estimated value of £1,220,319 (61% of £2,004,000 annual target) * Supported an estimated 15,887 individuals (106% against an annual target of 15,000) Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 2 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officer’s Notes RAG rating 8705 East End Citizens Advice Bureau Advice Tower Hamlets Boroughwide £720,000 Monitoring demonstrates that the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Advice Tower Hamlets provides free, confidential, independent, quality assured-advice to help Tower Hamlets residents resolve their cost-of-living issues relating to welfare benefits, housing, money/debt, employment, immigration, consumer, education, community care, family and personal issues at a generalist/specialist level. Citizens Advice Tower Hamlets leads the partnership with 12 local advice agencies. Progress Update Over 4 million benefit entitlements including in work benefits and under claiming benefits. Written off debts over 600,000. MCGP project has helped over 2725 clients improve their income through claiming benefits. All the partners are also working very hard with clients on the move to universal credit which has and will affect most Tower Hamlets residence. The rise in the cost of living is becoming evident as clients are seeking debt advice, concerned by their ability to pay ongoing liability, especially utility bills. The overall demand for debt advice is for support with a mixtures of priority debts (council tax rent arrears and utility) as well as non-priority, such as credit cards, loans and overpayments. Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) issues remains top enquiry especially regarding entitlement to additional Elements and financial implication of missing out on certain Element which may become retrospectively due following reconsiderations and appeals. We continue to see a demands from residents requiring help with applications to disability benefits (PIP, DLA, Aa and Limited Capability for Work). due to awards becoming due for review. The overall demand for debt advice is for support with a mixtures of priority debts (council tax rent arrears and utility) as well as non-priority such as credit cards, loans, and overpayments. Overall, the MCGP project is going to plan and will continue to get stronger. All the partners are engaged and working very hard to provide help and support to all residents of Tower Hamlets although demand and need of advice is outstretching actual what we can truly provide, all partners unmet needs are higher than MGCP targets most partners are booked up 4 to 5 weeks in advance and we are not sure how stainable this is in the current cost of living crisis. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 3 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8854 First Love Foundation Foundation Advice and Advocacy Service Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Tower Hamlets residents will have access to our AQS-accredited welfare rights advice and advocacy service in person, by telephone and through community outreach. We will explore why each individual and their household is in financial difficulty, what other challenges or crisis they face, and work with them to effect solutions. Progress Update In delivering this project, we have learned that residents greatly appreciate having help close at hand. Many are unable to afford transport to seek help, and for instance, a parent with school-age children will not be able to attend an advice centre and queue early in the morning in order to be seen. Through this project, we have started to understand how certain presenting issues are concentrated within certain areas. Since the onset of the project, the number of debt-related cases has multiplied up to 14 times, with the highest increase being in November. The same trend has followed for housing-related issues, where housing cases have multiplied up to 7 times since the introduction of the outreach sessions. With such figures, we can be certain that our service is reaching sectors we haven’t been able to target as of yet. During the period managed to accrue a total of £96,976.13 in ongoing and backdated outcomes. If split equally, this would result in a minimum uplift of £1,102 per household. Have supported 88 clients throughout this period. Factoring in the composition of the households, we supported a total of 164 adults and 97 children. Due to the complexity of many clients, we opened a total of 145 cases during this time and summed a total of 300 hours and 30 minutes of dedicated casework across the team. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 4 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8998 Stifford Centre Limited Advice and Crisis Support Project Limehouse £30,000 Monitoring demonstrates that project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The Stifford Centre will deliver a comprehensive ‘Advice and Crisis Support Project', offering welfare benefit, debt, housing, employment & financial advice, emotional support, and peer-mentoring to local residents. Additionally, the project will manage a 'Crisis Support Fund' for emergency assistance, actively addressing the cost-of-living crisis. Progress Update Project has performed well in its first five months, slightly over-performing on all of its three KPIs. During this period the project has engaged and supported 384 clients. Due to the demand for advice services additional sessions have been run. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9072 Community of Refugees from Vietnam - East London Support and Advice for Older People in Vietnamese and Chinese Communities Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £20,000 Monitoring demonstrates that the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The "Older People Vietnamese and Chinese Project" offers crucial support and guidance to the Vietnamese and Chinese communities in Tower Hamlets. We provide comprehensive assistance to individuals aged over 50, delivering valuable advice and information. Our services are available five days a week at Old Poplar Library, London E14 6RN. Progress Update Drop-in advice sessions are held: Every Monday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Dockland Settlement, 4 Saunders Ness Road, E14 3PS (except on Bank Holidays, Christmas, and New Year's Day). Every Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Old Poplar Library, 45 Gillender Street, Poplar, London, E14 6RN (except on Good Friday, Christmas, and New Year's Day). Advice provided by appointment, with specialist assistance available for welfare benefits and housing. An escort service is offered for users with limited mobility to hospitals and home visits for housebound individuals. Volunteers conduct weekly befriending visits to alleviate isolation. Digital and IT classes cater specifically to elderly service users, offering guidance on phones, laptops, and digital accounts to enhance their digital literacy. Drop-in sessions twice a year for eight weeks at Dockland Settlement, where users can seek assistance with technology and devices anytime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 5 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9054 Wapping Bangladesh Association Tower Hamlets Bangladeshi & BAME-Led Advice Forum Shadwell £70,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description Tower Hamlets Bangladeshi & BAME-Led Advice Forum is a consortium of trusted and embedded local charities, led by Wapping Bangladesh Association, working together to bring quality information, advice, guidance and support to people at risk during the Cost-ofLiving Crisis. Our work focuses in the south-west locality of Tower Hamlets. Progress Update The Bangladeshi & BME Advice Forum is running very well. Have so far successfully delivered the advice and information services from November 2023 to March 2024. As a consortium have delivered the services collectively as follows: Total number of individual clients 411 with resolving the case matters of 549 and ensured income maximization of £83,187.27 towards addressing the cost of living for the vulnerable people living in the borough. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 6 Appendix 3.2 Theme 2 – Accelerate Education Scheme A - Education Attainment and Development of Children and Young People ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9020 Ashaadibi Education and Cultural Centre Aim Higher ~ Edify Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The Aim-Higher Edify project aims to promote community-based study support and language development for children and young people in Tower Hamlets, delivering boroughwide. This project will accelerate education and growth through after-school clubs, language classes, and youth-work opportunities, leading to improved academic achievement and future success for participants in LBTH. Progress Update During the first two months of the reporting period, the organisation focused on recruiting (staff and students). Upon successfully recruiting a Tutor, their initial priority was to devise lesson plans including launching an open day (launched in December 2024) which also included consultation with parents and prospective students to help shape lessons and outcomes. The Somali language started on the first week of January 2024, with weekend classes of 4 hours per week, during this time the organisation also delivered 3 workshops to young people, covering meaningful topics as outlined in the funding application. The organisation has been meeting, and on some KPIs, exceeding targets. Expenditure report shows spend on track and in line with budgeted amount. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 7 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8807 Conductive Music CIC Music Beyond Imagination Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Music Beyond Imagination (MBI), is a cutting-edge music-technology-led educational project for 1475 Y4-Y8 SEN students across 8 Special, Mainstream and Alternative Provision schools and in Tower Hamlets. MBI supports music creation by empowering children, bridging educational gaps, showcasing career pathways, and enabling growth for Tower Hamlets' youth. Progress Update During this quarter the organisation started working on integrating music technology into the curriculum of 4 Special Schools. They initiated the project in early January, conducting online Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions with teachers from each participating school. Organisation officially launched the sessions in February. In this period 46 students at Phoenix and Ian Mikardo started to compile their portfolios for the Arts Award certificate. 128 participants took part in regular project activities in the period from Ian Mikardo and Phoenix Upper School. Organisation did highlight that at Stephen Hawking School and Beatrice Tate School, majority of students have physical disabilities, and therefore, attendance can be inconsistent as students often change schools or are unable to attend lessons depending on their physical condition. Consequently, the number of participants is likely to vary. Organisation informed that number of SEN students taught by trained non-specialist schoolteachers can be measured from year 2. In this quarter 93% of students rated the activity as either 'Excellent' or 'Pretty Good.' Furthermore, 76% of students reported that they enjoy creating their music with technology, and 70% enjoyed making new instruments and sounds. 43 students from Phoenix Upper School and Ian Mikardo High School have started preparing portfolios for the Arts Award. This quarter 80% of students reported improved wellbeing. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 8 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8896 Four Corners Cameraworks: Young People’s Photography Workshops Boroughwide £20,000 Reporting indicates the project is on track to meet expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description “Cameraworks” provides young Tower Hamlets residents with the opportunity to take part in photography workshops and creative projects, improving their educational attainment and also supporting their wider personal development. Progress Update Recruitment and Marketing has taken place resulting in the expected 10 participants recruited onto the first project. In addition, recruitment proved successful resulting in 11 places already reserved for participants to take part in Projects 2 and 3 in 2024 and Project 1 in 2025. Project 1, (Camera and Darkroom), started on the 21 February with 10 participants: 80% female; all aged under 25. The project indicates borough wide reach with the 10 participants coming from 8 of 20 Tower Hamlets Wards: 3 from Bethnal Green East Ward and one from each from Bow West; Bromley North; Limehouse; Poplar; Spitalfields and Banglatown, Weavers; and Whitechapel Wards. Outcomes include: • No dropouts. • Positive feedback from participants with 100% reporting they have acquired new skills. • 94% attendance • Several Project 1 participants can now use the darkrooms independently and will be given access outside of scheduled workshop times to develop their personal projects. • Their exhibition is scheduled to run 25-29 June 2024. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 9 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9035 Hornafrik Integration Projects Ltd E14 BAME Children and Young People Educational Attainment Project Blackwall and Cubitt Town £13,250 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description E14 BAME Children and Young People Educational Attainment Project will support Children and Young people from disadvantaged households for timely intervention in access to extracurricular activities and after school provision. Progress Update In this quarter the project started in November 2023. Organisation provided extracurricular activities and after school provision that has supported school-aged children and young people to access structured educational support in order to facilitate for better educational attainment. Hornafrik started the project by organising a structured weekly study support for school children and young people who are at risk of not falling behind with their schooling educational performance. 48 participants took part in regular project activities in the period. 42 children attend weekly educational support classes on a regular basis. Out of 4 parents that were engages 3 parents specifically mentioned that programme is positively supporting their families and they're in a better position understanding the UK's educational system. Another 2 parents also reported that they now have better understanding about their children’s performance and behaviour at school. This quarter organisation had referred 5 young people under the age of 19 years to earn an accredited SIA training and as a result now got their SIA batch to get into paid employment. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 10 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9024 Limehouse Welfare Association LWA Community Language Bengali and Arabic Support Programme Poplar; Limehouse; Lansbury; Mile End Shadwell; Stepney Green; St Dunstan's £22,400 Monitoring indicates that there are risks that need to be addressed in partnership with their officer to ensure expected outcomes will be achieved RED Short Description Provides Community Language, Bengali and Arabic classes, in term time, enhancing the achievement of students in Key Stages 1,2 and 3. These classes improve students’ self-confidence, cognitive development, educational attainment and Community cohesion. Progress Update The project reports that it has undertaken outreach and now have most students registered on the project. In person and phone contact has been made with parents. Ongoing negotiations with the Harford Centre resulted has resulted in them arranging a meeting to book a room for the project for 4 two-hour sessions for activities each week. A teacher is ready to start the classes and be engaged formally. They aim to start the provision in June. See Appendix 5 for more information. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8990 Newark Youth London Girls in Action Boroughwide £20,000 Project on track with expectations. GREEN Short Description Girls in Action widens access to extracurricular activities for girls and young women so they develop their confidence and life skills and increase their resilience. The project enables participants to participate in social action projects and other learning opportunities to enable them to develop their leadership, communication and organisational skills. Progress Update During the period the project held 17 three-hour workshop/sessions with 10 young women/girls participating. For their social action project participants worked with Just Smiles Homeless project to produce winter warmer packs and distributed them to Homeless people in London. A range of training related to the work was provided, alongside personal development opportunities and fun activities. Outcomes included all participants achieving an ASDAN Volunteering certificate. Evaluation and feedback demonstrated 100% of participants reported they had positive project experience resulting in outcomes including: 100% feeling more confident in themselves; 100% engaging more in other youth club activities; 100% increased understanding of self and others. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 11 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9028 SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets Rainbow Links Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A SEND focused programme of activities providing stimulating activities for children and young people, support and peer network for parents, and family trips to enhance the opportunities available for SEND children. Progress Update RainbowLinks is funded to provide a project that consists of three elements: 1. Integration project that annually enables 30 children, 5-12 years, with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience a range of existing children’s community facilities, activities, and events of interest to them, available at Society Links or at partner organisations, through experienced dedicated worker support. 2. Online forum and website with monthly online open workshop sessions, targeted at everyone with an interest in SEND support, especially parents/carers. 3. Workshops to support parents and carers. The monitoring form indicates the project has provided: 1. Project development activities including co production work with key stakeholders and outreach. 2. Assessments and development activities to raise the confidence of 12 children participants. 3. Evaluation with parents. The organisation has put a plan in place for activities in the next quarter. They are working in partnership with their officer, parents and children to develop the project. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 12 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8866 St Hilda's East Community Centre Young People’s Development Programme Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £33,180 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description St Hilda’s East Young People’s Programme is an inspirational initiative designed to support children and young people to reach their full potential. Through weekly activities including sports, arts, and reflective sessions; the programme focuses on improving young people’s mental health, resilience and steering them away from anti-social behaviour and crime. Progress Update Since November, the project provided 44 sessions, engaging 87 individual young people. Regular sessions have revolved around promoting positive mental health, boosting confidence, and fostering leadership skills through a diverse range of activities, including sports, arts, crafts, music, self-care, and field trips. Talking circle sessions feedback demonstrated activities have enhanced participants confidence and developed new skills. Through focus groups and individual feedback undertaken in March, 100% participants reported improvements in their wellbeing and resilience. Observations and self-feedback from the young participants themselves, shows 100% improvement in their leadership abilities. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8862 St Margaret's House The Children’s Making Tree Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £5,156 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The project empowers Tower Hamlets children to take part in enriching holiday activities in a variety of arts disciplines (circus, art, drama, spoken word). Sessions improve children’s confidence in their abilities and increase their cultural capital to help them pursue diverse activities outside of school to support their academic achievement. Progress Update In line with expectations 3 circus skills sessions took place in the February 2024 half term at Tramshed Community Hub. 50 participants engaged resulting in 90% of participants stating they felt more confident at the end of the sessions. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 13 8937 Tower Hamlets Parents Centre THPC Saturday Study Support Programme Spitalfields and Banglatown £10,369 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description This Project delivers weekly Study Support Session on a Saturday morning in term times that help improve the attainment of disadvantaged local young people at Key Stages 1 and 2. Progress Update The project provided 17 weeks of Study Support Session delivered by a qualified teacher. Children were provided with one-to-one support from a classroom assistant as needed. Twenty children Participated and seventeen attended regularly. Evaluation undertaken by participants demonstrated 100% of participants had a positive engagement with project activities. Assessment of their progress demonstrated that all had also made progress towards their Key Stages 1 and 2 attainments. An evaluation report will be submitted after the end of the Academic Year. Outcomes are demonstrated through case studies. This demonstrated that teacher assessment resulted in more appropriate maths work being provided resulting in one student being entered for the higher papers in Maths for his SATs. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 14 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9009 Toyhouse Libraries Association of Tower Hamlets - Toyhouse Accelerating Education for Pre-School aged children via Community Toy Library involvement. Boroughwide £14,992 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Toyhouse supports a network of community-based Toy Libraries facilitated by a mix of parent volunteers and staff, that enables parents and pre-schoolers to benefit from weekly Play Learn sessions, enabling children to develop speech, communication, social interaction and Early Learning skills before they enter formal educational settings. Progress Update Delays in payments and receiving a signed funding agreement has made the initial months challenging for this organisation. Despite this Toyhouse undertook work to maintain contact and provided bespoke supportive development work with their existing Member Group Toy Libraries. This has included supporting one long-standing member group who had to close their Toy Library March 2020. The project is now supporting the Toy Library to reestablish. Between November and March, the project visited 11 Toy Libraries during their session time each term (36 visits). During the visits they observed activities, consulted with parent/child users, and offered support to Toy Librarians experiencing challenges. The project has achieved some expectations resulting in: • 12 member groups receiving support in the period. • 92% member groups indicating they have had positive engagement with the project. However, some elements of the project were not enabled prior to first payments in mid-March. They have proactively used this time as an opportunity to do preparation work for launching the project Newsletter and preparing for other project activities. The project plans to deliver its first training session in April with several Librarians booked. During this session the project will provide an opportunity for participants to co-design subsequent sessions. The organisation’s monitoring indicates continued good governance. In this period, they have reviewed, refreshed, and confirmed a range of organisational policies and procedures. Funding has been used wisely with some funds taken over to be used on future project delivery. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 15 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9063 Udichi Shilpi Gosthi Bengali Mother Tongue Project Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £18,768 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Project provides mother tongue study support and community education for 300 disadvantaged Bengali children and young people in Tower Hamlets who will learn to read, write and speak Bengali and achieve Tower Hamlets Community Language Certificate. Boosts community cohesion via arts and cultural activities broadcast on Bengali media (TV, radio) Progress Update Delivery began in Whitechapel Idea store in November after recruiting two qualified Mother Tongue teachers and two support teachers (Volunteers) to deliver the activities. 71 participants were registered. After initial assessment participants were divided into 3 different groups according to their abilities. An event was held on 24 February, the children performed poetry recitation and took part in discussion, Essay Competition. The Mother tongue Children also took part in the victory day of Bangladesh celebration. Number of participants engaging with local Bengali culture and heritage. Participants can attend multiple years and be counted each year. More than 90% of students test were undertaken by the tutors to assess the improvement in educational attainment (base line in KS1 and KS2). This will be measured at the end of the summer term. 85% of the learners were positively engaged with the mother tongue learning provision. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9056 Wapping Bangladesh Association A Bright Future - Wapping After-School Children Education Project St Katherine's and Wapping £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description After School Children’s Education Project raising the educational achievements of academically underachieving Bangladeshi children from poorer and disadvantaged backgrounds through a programme of activities and learning interventions that includes Mother Tongue Education and Study Support Learning. Progress Update 30 students registered on the project in this period. Since November 2023- March 2024, the project delivered 45 mother tongue classes to 20 students, and 19 supplementary classes to 10. The project held a parents evening on 18th December 2023. The organisation reports that parents feedback about the project was very satisfactory. The organisation reports 27 participants have made positive engagement in terms of learning the lessons and attending the sessions regularly resulting in improved communication skills. Participants have also received support in maths, English and science to get their homework done. The organisations is undertaking outreach activities to increase participation to supplementary education classes. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 16 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9044 Weavers Community Forum (WCF) Active Youth Project Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £21,903 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Active Youth Project is to help inspire, activate & motivate young people to learn about themselves, others, and Society, through non-formal education activities which combine enjoyment, challenge and learning. Progress Update The active Youth Project is a continuation project that started in 2013, which was funded by Tower Hamlets council. The purpose of this project is to deliver community base sports and recreational activities that enhance the well-being of local disadvantaged young people. In October 2023, the project successfully onboarded three dedicated part-time youth workers. Organisation reported that they have successfully registered and engaged 13 young individuals during the period. They also reported that each participant received tailored support and collaboratively developed action plans for their ongoing journey. Organisation to provide more detail on what the action plan contains and how will it be monitored. They have gathered feedback from participants through surveys and through 1-1 sessions to understand their satisfaction levels, perceived benefits, and areas for improvement. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 17 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8758 Westferry Community Organisation Education Matters Canary Wharf £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Education Matters is a community-based initiative, which will deliver educational/learning activities to children and young people in the Canary Wharf area. This will consist of after-school/evening and/or weekend clubs for children, to assist in reading/writing, maths/arithmetic, and other curriculum/extra-curriculum-based learning. Also, weekend sessions for young adults providing life skills. Progress Update The project consists of weekend clubs for children, to assist in reading/writing, maths/arithmetic, and other curriculum/extra-curriculumbased learning. Organisation reported that that they have achieved 70% success rate in reading level attainment, 62% success in writing levels, 64% success in soft/life skill attainment, and career development, and 83% success in wellbeing improvement. Organisation reported that in total 24 participants took part in regular project activities in this period. Organisation has reported that from a current total of 13 children aged 6-14 years old, 8 children have had their writing levels assessed and are currently achieving at the national standard OWCS standard for their age. The other 4 children are still working towards their target. They have also reported that from a current total of 11 young adults aged 14-19, 7 of them have learnt 8 soft and life skills. The other 4 young adults have learnt between 4-6 skills. They have reported that 16 young people have achieved improvement in their wellbeing and have achieved a 6 point increase in their WEMWBS score. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 18 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8913 Women’s Inclusive Team Maangaar (Young People - SEN Support) Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description This project will target children aged 6 to 10 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in LBTH boroughwide, who have limited after-school provisions. Maangaar (meaning 'unique child' in Somali) will create positive learning opportunities to enrich their development and their parents, ultimately improving their education and mental well-being. Progress Update Maangaar project aims to help families with Special Educational Needs children by providing culturally sensitive, expert support, to help them to better understand their child’s condition, how to support them and the family. Organisation reported that during the first quarter, the Maangaar project reached its full number of target registered participants. They have also held SEND sports sessions in collaboration with Disability Sports Charity. Organisation states that their CRM system captures details of some members, however, due to stigma some members did not want to be registered. They have 35 registered participants but have engaged with many more individuals. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 19 9013 Young and Talented Ltd Triple Talent Enrichment Programme Bethnal Green West (formerly St Peter's) £25,000 Monitoring indicates that the project is mostly on track, but additional support is planned AMBER Short Description Weekly, high-quality, performing-arts training for 6-16-year-olds. The free sessions will enable children from marginalised backgrounds to have long-term engagement with activities which support good mental health and wellbeing; develop personal and practical skills; enrich curriculum learning; and provide access to the infrastructure required to progress into arts/culture-related education and employment. Progress Update In November and December 2023 Y&T delivered 5 masterclasses. 28 students attended masterclasses in Musical Theatre, Dance and acting. Each week the students explored different topics which enhanced their understanding of the performing arts industry. The students also performed at the Christmas sharing which took place in December at Oxford House. They performed in front of 80 audience members made up of family members, friends, industry experts and local community. From January to March 2024, Y&T delivered the Triple Talent programme, 3-hour performing arts training sessions every Saturday. They engaged current 28 students and recruited a further 8 students. Their key achievements included their Acting tutor and Creative Director won the Leader Award Jack Petchey. Three of their students were selected as the Jack Petchey Achievement award winners for their role in their Teens group. They recruited new members of staff to be in line with the funding requirements. One of their students has been selected to be part of the cast of Michael Jackson the Musical. Organisation has faced some challenges with venue and being shifted to different room which has impacted the project. Y&T have already started outreach work to increase number of students to meet the target. They have also met with Council officers and have developed an action plan to increase number of students and promote the project. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 20 Scheme B – Lifelong Learning ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8967 Age UK East London Digital Buddy Boroughwide £39,997 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Digital Buddies will build the skills, confidence and motivation of digitally excluded older people, using a proven model, enabling them to get to grips with new technologies and use them safely and skilfully. It represents the best opportunity to build their confidence, skills and ultimately resilience in a digital-first world. Progress Update During this period, the project has supported 45 older people with digital support services. The project has had a successful start with: 82.2% of participants (37 people) report that they are more confident using digital technology and getting online. 100% of participants (45 people) report that they have developed at least one skill to use digital technology 75% of participants (34 people) report that they have greater awareness of online risks and feel better able to manage them and, 47% of participants (21 people) feel better able to manage cost of living pressures. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9021 Ashaadibi Education and Cultural Centre Aim Higher e~Adult Lifelong Learning Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The e-Adult Lifelong Learning project aims to promote digital inclusion, language skills, and lifelong learning in Tower Hamlets to the BAME community. Through English language classes and digital skills training, it will reduce digital exclusion and improve the confidence and aspirations of marginalized and underrepresented residents of LBTH. Progress Update Nov-Dec, the project was planned and designed. Roles for the project were advertised, as well as the classes, the computer class, and the ESOL creative English on WhatsApp groups. A good sign-up of very keen adult learners. Mixed genders, the men were interested in the computers class and the women were interested in the ESOL class. The premises in LEA that we were meant to start on had a double booking, so premises changed for the women's class and started a partnership project with a local Somali community partner, WIT. First week of January the weekly ESOL Creative English for women on every Wednesday and the drop-in session for the computers class for men. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 21 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8906 Bromley By Bow Centre BOOST North East Bow East £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Through Boost North East, the Bromley by Bow Centre is providing non-accredited English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and digital inclusion classes alongside social mixing activities. The project will support people to become confident engaging with the local community, and services using English. 280 learners will be supported. Progress Update Delay to the start of the project due to a substantial reduction in the awarded funding, which amounted to half of the requested amount. A tutor and an outreach support worker have been successfully recruited. The recruitment of learners is currently underway, and the project anticipates being on track with the KPI reporting by the next quarterly return. Additionally, BBBC have secured match funding, enabling them to expand the recruitment of learners for this program. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8929 deafPLUS Improving deaf and hard of hearing residents English, Maths and digital skills Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A borough wide lifelong learning project that will improve deaf and hard of hearing residents English and Maths and digital skills, reducing socio-economic deprivation in Tower Hamlets Progress Update During this period the project successfully recruited a member of staff to take on the role of Lifelong learning skills coordinator and has engaged with 15 service users via workshops/forums, coffee mornings and sign language week events. In this period the project has devised a course structure with service users and is confident that in the subsequent quarters it will be able to demonstrate meeting the KPI targets. The project has developed upcoming sessions which are set to run from April 2024.Project outcomes will be assessed, evaluated, and reported as the D/deaf BSL and Hard of hearing service users approach the end of their English, Maths, and Digital sessions. Project monitoring indicates engagement of D/deaf BSL and Hard of hearing service users in line with application expectations on geographical and equalities monitoring. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 22 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8700 East London Advanced Technology Training BOOST (Building On Our Skills Together) South West Shadwell £40,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description BOOST South West provides accessible, entry-level ESOL classes to develop English language skills, digital inclusion, and preparation for lifelong learning for 300 migrants and refugees in SW Tower Hamlets, 2023-2027. Courses will be tailored to learners’ lives and include classroom activities, visits to places of interest and community engagement activities. Progress Update The project has demonstrated good progress against the KPIs and therefore achieving the project outcomes. During this period, the project has supported 46 refugees and migrant participants who have completed an Entry level ESOL course and achieved a qualification in this period (Nov23-March24). The project has achieved positive outcomes for its service users including students who have reported an increased knowledge of identifying progressions routes at the end of the course and students who reported progression to volunteering, work or further study at the end of their course. The project supports refugees and migrants to integrate into their new communities by providing them with English language qualifications, enhancing their understanding of progression routes and facilitating their transition to volunteering, work, or further study. The project recruits students through either an online or in-person application process. The majority of participants demonstrate remarkable improvement in their English language proficiency, as evidenced by successful completion of exams to achieve their qualifications. Between October and March, participants participated in the Health Festival in December 2024 where they benefitted from a talk on Diabetes Awareness and Prevention by Dr Patricia Smith from the UEL. Another valuable workshop was given by an educator from UK Parliament about Democracy and the importance of registering to vote. Other well-being activities included trying a free Yoga class to celebrate International Women’s Day and visiting a local Sports Centre. The project encourages students to get used to taking the public transport during class trips to gain confidence in exploring their local area, meeting new people, develop friendships and enhance a sense of belonging to their local community. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 23 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8934 ICM Foundation CIC CORE News Community Newspaper Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Adults with learning disabilities will develop skills and work towards a qualification to design and produce a tri-annual community newspaper, informing people of and reviewing activities to be distributed to community groups in London with the focus on reducing social isolation and increased participation through low cost or free activities. Progress Update During this period the project has supported 13 participants. The project started later than anticipated so the delivery of the course content was delayed. The project has delivered content for 3 units and is ready to assess on one of the units. The participants have responded well to the course and have been engaged even though they have found aspects of the content difficult. Through observation staff have noticed a significant improvement in levels of confidence especially in relation to the course content and how the participants are able to process the information given to them and all have learnt new digital skills and this will be reinforced throughout the duration of the course. The newspaper is ready to be distributed; all articles have been written and videos done and the project is in the early stages of planning for the next edition. The project is currently planning its first workshop and how it will present to one of the disability groups in the borough. Project outcomes will be assessed, evaluated, and reported as the participants approach the end of the diploma/course. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 24 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG meeting 8974 Island House Community Centre DIGITAL DAY Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Digital Day will develop the existing SKILLS project, providing 3 levels of support to digitally excluded clients. Teaching basic digital skills and providing computer/internet access for necessary for life tasks that have moved online, supporting the digitally excluded, improving skills, reducing digital exclusion, and enabling access to health and social care. Progress Update During this period the project ran DIGITAL DAY on 16 occasions over the 5 months. This was significantly less than planned for, but was due to a slow start in November, and then closures during Christmas, Easter and Ramadan. The project has supported 94 clients in this funding period. These new sessions have been steady, although started off slowly, but from publicity and by word-of-mouth clients have increased. Project staff have found that clients are presenting with varied types of issues, some with multiple issues, thereby needing more than 1 appointment to be resolved. Some clients are totally digital excluded, with no digital knowledge or device-data-access or confidence. The project also supports clients who have literacy and/ or language barriers. The project has achieved some positive outcomes during this period which include 29 individuals reporting reduced digital exclusion and improved confidence, self-esteem, and resilience as a result of accessing the DIGITAL DAY services. Feedback from clients attending the DIGITIAL Day sessions have been positive, and the project is making a difference to people's lives. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 25 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8677 LifeLine Community Projects Creative English Mile End £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Creative English is a volunteer-led English language programme that teaches everyday English speaking to people from marginalised and minority groups who do not speak English as a first/main language. Delivered by faith and community groups, Creative English uses applied drama techniques to engage learners in a fun and welcoming environment. Progress Update During this period the project has engaged two delivery partners (East London Mosque and Wapping Bangladesh Association). The project was delayed at the beginning as the project was waiting for confirmation of the contract, and then further delayed training the volunteer facilitators due to school holidays and Ramadan. The first part of the training took place on the 16th April, and the 2nd day is scheduled for the 8th of May. The project fully expects the hubs to start delivery immediately after the second day of training. The project has not registered any new learners but is confident that both East London Mosque and Wapping Bangladeshi Association have sufficient footfall to engage the learners as per the milestones during the next seven months. Creative English uses role play and scenarios to create learning and enjoyment for the participants. The training required is to enable volunteers to deliver the course. The training takes 2 days and predominantly aims at reducing loneliness and having fun to create friendships within the classroom. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 26 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8715 Limehouse Project ESOL & Digital Training Limehouse £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Limehouse Project’s ESOL & Digital Training programme is a supportive coaching initiative funded by the Council which helps residents improve their command of the English language and basic digital skills. We hope to empower residents to improve their lives by learning new skills for life and life-long learning. Progress Update During this period from November to March, the project activities focused on creating lesson plans for topics relevant to English, digital, personal and professional growth to reduce the gap of social and digital exclusion. The course focusses on "Real-life English" with the practical use of English language skills in daily life, including conversing in social settings, navigating public environments and issues, and engaging in community activities, with this enabling us to support the student led and decided conversations clubs to include relevant workshop support sessions. Following the action planning period for each engaged individual and English assessments, the first 16-week cohort commenced in January 2024. Since then, participants have been involved in 3x workshops during the conversation club sessions, including those 'Money management and debt’, cervical screening awareness' (aimed at addressing low uptake from underrepresented communities in Tower Hamlets and led by community volunteer champions engaged at Limehouse Project), and an employability session. Along with this, the class participated and engaged with consultations for the Ethnic Minority Network to ensure community representation, and to share their voice around community issues. Additionally, each participant has had or being scheduled for one-on-one sessions with an employment adviser to ensure continued progression beyond the initial 16 weeks. The students attended the International Women’s Day event which showcased previous learners development to empower the attendees. The start of the cyber cafe experienced a slight delay as the focus was on completing the Digital Development sessions. To complement the course, an external partner will be conducting additional IT sessions in-house, addressing identified support needs of clients. These sessions will be open to all in addition to the cyber cafe, which will cover a variety of topics aimed at promoting empowerment and independence. The cyber cafe is scheduled to commence on April 17, 2024, with catch-up sessions and will involve student volunteers. There is a growing waiting list and currently an active class of 14 individuals. Regular meetings have taken place with the Employment and Training coordinator, Tutor, and project worker to enhance the delivery of the course and identify any issues and need from the group, lessons learned and improvements. The next phase is to conduct trips. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 27 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8652 Quaker Social Action Made of Money - helping carers to increase their resilience to online financial scams. Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates that the project is mostly on track after a few initial challenges and unforeseen changes. AMBER Short Description Quaker Social Action’s ‘Made of Money’ financial education and financial wellbeing team, partnering with Carers Centre, Tower Hamlets, will devise and deliver digital inclusion sessions for local people, predominantly carers, focussing specifically on helping people be aware of and have a much-reduced risk of falling victim to online scams/fraud. Progress Update During the first few months of the reporting period, the organisation's activities focused on mobilisation and by early February the organisation was able to schedule work with their delivery partner - Carers Centre Tower Hamlets (CCTH). Given the delay in starting the project, only two sessions were delivered this FY (Friday 15th March and 22nd March), and a third session was delivered on 5th April. As such, the numbers were slightly below target. Key activities during the mobilisation period include: *Liaison work with partners to set up the work. *Development of the initial publicity plan. *Development of publicity materials for clients, including design. *Delivery of two sessions. *During the initial two sessions, co-creation discussions took place around content and emphasis for the third session. Despite the late start to the project (resulting in limited time for promotion of the project and consequently lower numbers/attendance) and challenges such as staff sickness, the organisation is delighted with the positivity of the sessions and initial feedback as the cohort learnt about social media scams, verifying photos, and checking for secure websites as outlined in the application activities and demographics. As per conversation with staff, the organisation did not use this KPI 2, as they needed to change the activity due to the change in the tool made by Google. In addition to this, an annual report was sent instead of an expenditure breakdown for the project. Going forward these issues will be addressed; however, the organisation did make the Officer aware of technical difficulties with the online form. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 28 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8803 Social Action For Health Bengali Women's ESOL Walking Group Bethnal Green West (formerly St Peter's) £24,945 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description This project brings together Bengali women for a weekly walking group to enjoy some gentle movement, and practice conversational English, thus reducing isolation, improving physical and mental wellbeing and enabling more positive interaction with the wider community and services such as GPs and other health professionals. Progress Update The project is going very well. The project has supported 21 women from the target demographic group over the past 6 months. The project has made a positive impact on the women through establishing a regular meeting space enabling women who may not otherwise get out and about to meet and support each other, increasing physical exercise – when the group has not gone for a walk (for example because of poor weather), the group has nevertheless completed indoor exercises, regular attendance – which indicates satisfaction and engagement and people reporting that their confidence using English has increased. The group meets at Collingwood Children’s Centre every Tuesday morning (except when paused for Ramadan and holidays) and is imminently starting a new group on a Wednesday morning at the same place to widen availability. Additional tutors have been trained in running informal ESOL conversation classes to support the Wednesday sessions. In this first 6 months of the project, 100% of participants anecdotally report that their levels of spoken and written English have improved. This will be followed up with more specific capturing of this information in the up-coming year. Project outcomes will be assessed, evaluated, and reported as the women approach the end of their ESOL sessions/programme. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 29 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8996 Stifford Centre Limited BAME Women’s Empowerment Programme Shadwell £29,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. Satisfactory Report. GREEN Short Description Stifford Centre's BAME Women’s Empowerment Programme empowers BAME women in Tower Hamlets through comprehensive ESOL classes, employability work and digital skills training. Our goal is to bridge socio-economic gaps and boost integration, confidence, and participation in the local economy. Progress Update During this reporting period the project successfully carried out outreach activities to engage and recruit eligible participants, established a Project Users Group (PUG) in December 2023 to plan, design and develop the project activities and then started project delivery. During this period BAME Women’s Empowerment Programme has achieved positive outcomes for its beneficiaries. The project has supported 71 women during this period who attended the various sessions. Over 90% of these participants report: - improved levels of digital skills. - increased confidence, resilience and self-esteem. - improved levels of spoken and written English - feel they've gained skills to enable them to move into volunteering, education and employment Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 30 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8936 Tower Hamlets Parents Centre THPC Digital Inclusion Programme for BAME Women Spitalfields and Banglatown £12,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. Satisfactory report. GREEN Short Description This Project will deliver a 36-hour Computer Training Programme that will improve the Skills, Employment Readiness and Inclusion of 140 local disadvantaged women from BAME Communities. Progress Update During this period project has successfully supported 18 beneficiaries with Digital skills training to improve their skills and employment readiness despite the Centre being closed during the Christmas break, Ramadan (10th March - until 10th of April) and the Tutor taking an extended leave due to unforeseen circumstances. The project delivered 15 hours of Computer/Digital training. Each training course consisted of 3 sessions; each of those sessions was 2.5 hours long. The course was delivered twice; first cohort included 10 women and second cohort included 8 women. During this period staff have observed that participants that have attended the Digital inclusion classes have shown some improvements in their levels of digital skills, increased confidence to access online services and feeling less socially isolated. Project outcomes will be assessed, evaluated, and reported as the women approach the end of their Digital inclusion sessions. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 31 Appendix 3.3 Theme 3 – Culture, Business, Jobs, and Skills Scheme A - Employment and Skills Opportunities for Socially Excluded Residents ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9080 Account3 Ltd Jobs for the Girls - Employability for Marginalised Women of Tower Hamlets Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description This project will provide unemployed women including returners with multi lingual support to plan their futures through offer of MATRIX accredited career guidance, training and support to better understand the jobs market and make the right decisions to get into paid work that offers career progression and stable employment. Progress Update The project has been running as designed since 1st November 2023 . The activities have been: Marketing and client engagement; Participation in local for a; Delivery of one-to-one IAG session (how many) on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays through the period up to and including March 24 The project have worked with: 32 women, all resident of Tower Hamlets KPIs - The project have produced 32 IAGs and Action plans for the client journey towards employment - the project have supported 9 women into volunteer placements - 10 women have moved into training (incl ESOL conversation club) - 5 have participated in employability CV workshop - 3 have moved into paid employment Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 32 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8816 Circle Community Circle Community's Back Your Future @ Canary Wharf employability programme for young people Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description Back Your Future @ Canary Wharf will provide holistic employability support to 495 NEET young people. Access to work experience, jobseeking skills, sector knowledge, wellbeing support and entry level jobs with Canary Wharf employers will provide them with the knowledge, networks and confidence to find, sustain, and progress in work. Progress Update The project has had a great period of activity at Circle with a new Job Coach who started in November and is fully embedded in their delivery project and due to their partnership with Canary Wharf Group, they have now been introduced to a number of their employers had a number of success stories in filling these vacancies. The project has not changed in this period but with the addition of staff and the referral of new partners it has improved their opportunities for young people. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 33 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8701 East London Advanced Technology Training Tower Hamlets Community Works Bethnal Green West (formerly St Peter's) £30,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description TH Community Works is an innovative, holistic programme of employability skills training, personal development, one-to-one support, volunteering and work experience to support unemployed refugees and migrant residents of Tower Hamlets into work. It will empower participants to build a career and navigate the UK job market independently. Progress Update The project has taken part in outreach recruitment events (such as at John Smith’s Family Hub) to engage with potential students and encourage them to feel confident to join in the project. The project makes sure that every student leaves their course with a clear idea of their next steps and feeling positive about their future. The project can meet with students regularly on a one-to-one basis to check that they are making progress, whether it is finding a volunteering opportunity or continuing to find and apply for jobs online. The Community Works Project has had an important impact on its participants, most notably in their confidence to apply for jobs using digital technology. In an era where digital skills are essential, this project has successfully demystified the digital job application process for many students. Feedback from participants highlights an increased skill in navigating online job portals, engaging with potential employers through digital platforms, and presenting themselves professionally online. As a result of taking part in the project, students grow in confidence in everyday life, and we have supported students about learning the transport system and planning for journeys which helps them to navigate their local communities where students planned a journey to develop skills that are needed for planning for journeys to interviews or volunteering opportunities. Students have gone on to volunteer at their children’s primary schools, as well as volunteering at local community centres. Some have continued their professional development by taking vocational courses. Others have successfully found jobs for example at supermarkets or schools. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 34 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9036 Hornafrik Integration Projects Ltd E14 BAME Skills Development and Employment Project Blackwall and Cubitt Town £20,670 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Our project aims to work with the hard-to reach, excluded BAME, mainly Somali and other African communities who live in 3 wards in Tower Hamlets, who are long-term unemployed and/or economically inactive, including individuals with no formal or limited educational qualifications Progress Update During the past 5 months the project provided an accredited SIA training, CSCS training, tailored & personalised employability support for local disadvantaged BAME communities who are Tower Hamlets residents where some aspects of the project were oversubscribed. For example: A huge number of leaflets were printed and dropped to targeted places including local mosques, community centres etc.; WhatsApp & other social media outlets were used to disseminate information about the project. An SIA accredited courses for 26 local community members was organised which helped many of them to get paid employment to work in the Security industry, by linking them with local employment agencies and employers. A CSCS accredited training for 5 local community members was organised helping them to work in the construction industry. A skills match workshops for 49 project users was organised, some of whom have already done accredited training with the organisation. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 35 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8742 Leaders in Community Youth and Community Social Action Hub Lansbury £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The project will create a safe and inclusive hub for youth and community social action work placements, which will help develop campaigns on equity and employment by addressing barriers to progress and raising aspirations for young people and older community members, particularly for people from Black, Asian, and Multi-Ethnicity backgrounds. Progress Update Reflecting on the period spanning from November 2023 to March 2024, the project has seen significant progress and impactful outcomes. Throughout this quarter, the project has diligently pursued their objectives while adapting to various influences that shaped their project delivery. Mentoring sessions and drop-ins played a pivotal role in fostering connections and understanding amongst young people. These interactions facilitated meaningful relationships and contributed to a cohesive working environment. A highlight of their quarter was the collaborative effort with Care Providers Voice and Leaders In Community to organise a Care Sector Career Fair on December 13th, 2023. This event provided invaluable opportunities for networking and career development within the care sector. Further enriching their engagement initiatives, they participated in the West Ham Employability Insight Day on February 5th, 2024, offering pathways to employment delivered by West Ham. This event broadened horizons and empowered participants with essential skills and knowledge. The Sky Careers Day on February 15th, 2024, and the National Conference on Strengthening Education to Employment Pathways for Black, Asian & Mixed Heritage Young People on February 22nd, 2024, expanded their reach and fostered dialogue on crucial topics. Lastly, they celebrated diversity and unity at the Youth Iftar event on March 25th, 2024, exemplifying their dedication to inclusivity and cultural exchange. In summary, their project during this quarter has been marked by achievements, significant outcomes, and impactful engagements. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 36 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG ratings 8716 Limehouse Project More New Horizons Limehouse £25,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Limehouse Project’s ‘More New Horizons’ project seeks to support local women to gain the skills to get into work and/or to begin to run their own online businesses which can be managed around a work-life balance and household responsibilities. Progress Update During the period from November to March, the project successfully recruited and engaged 41 individuals who identify as women. This was achieved through their existing co-production partnerships and the efforts of their project worker, who conducted outreach activities such as delivering employability advice, Time management and Budgeting and managing money workshops at WIT and Limehouse Project. Additionally, the project recruited through school coffee mornings, ELATT, and Variety Club outreach sessions, accessing those furthest from the labour market and at risk of social, economic and digital exclusion. The project also provided internal signposting through their advice services for individuals facing employment challenges and financial constraints. During this period, the project delivered both one-to-one and group employability sessions to address the barriers faced by the group. They also referred individuals to internal and Harca services for pre-entry ESOL and functional skills support to overcome barriers. The project has scheduled two cohorts for E Commerce and Digital Skills course delivery in May and June to cover this quarter's delivery, as employability was focused on and overcoming a range of barriers for the individuals recruited with little to no work experience and lack of qualifications. Furthermore, the project are exploring other co-production partnerships with company Thesalians to develop free data science and AI courses. These courses would serve as a valuable supplement to their programme, enabling individuals who may not otherwise have access to such opportunities to further develop their skills and ELBA to run basic digital skills courses for further support. Other unintended outcomes of the current period include encouraging the women engaged to participate in community events to build their skills, confidence and knowledge. This includes International Women's Day dedicated to the successes and leadership of women. Nine women attended the Ethnic Minority Community consultation day to provide their voice and lived experience to shape services, in turn supporting the shaping of community services and building their confidence. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 37 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9017 Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge Mindful Barista Project Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The Mindful Barista Project will support people living with mental health to access employment training and experience to become a Barista and gain work experience in local cafes. We will support up to 20 people per year to gain experience of working in a cafe and becoming a Barista. Progress Update The Mindful Barista Project will recruit 11 Barista Volunteers over a 12-month period (36 Total people recruited over the project grant period). Organisation will offer training, experience, and work placements to support people to access placements and vocational opportunities. In this period, the organisation conducted a co-production session to solicit input from visitors on how the café could better serve their needs. As a result, the café now hosts the Just Say Hello initiative, offering a variety of hot food and beverages while providing valuable training opportunities for individuals. Two male and one female Barista Volunteers have started The Mindful Barista Volunteer Programme spread over a 12-week training period and they are currently completing week 4. In regard to project clients reporting feeling more confident and having a greater self-esteem as a result of participating in the project, organisation will be able to share progress mapping on this after completion of 12-week training and also at 6 months contact point. Organisation will provide update at the end of the 12-week training on feedback and progress. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 38 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8885 Osmani Trust Pathway to Employment Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description We are seeking to deliver an education, employment and training-focused project to reduce barriers to employment for NEET young people in Tower Hamlets. We will develop their confidence and employability skills, help them gain qualifications and work experience and support them with progressing into education, employment or training. Progress Update The Osmani Employability project has supported and provide IAG to 37 Individuals who have been engaging pro-actively with 1-2-1 engagement sessions. They have been supported via OT programs by reinforcing learning and development. During their IAG sessions, referrals to peers at Osmani Centre and other local professional organisations have been discussed and explored with suitable courses, education & employment identified. The OT team then have been proactively supporting the young person with individual CV development, advice with interviews and support with motivation while the individual undertakes training and placements. Referring them towards tailored training, employment and or voluntary work to steer and empower them into a positive direction by utilising all opportunities as well as the internal Osmani Trust Directory of service which includes Professionals across sectors and services which has been developed by the OT team. Thus far 12 young people have achieved L3 emergency first aid Certification, 3 young people are Certificated First responders with St John's Ambulance and 2 young people are Food Hygiene Certificate, 2 young people have started a CBT course with Ride to Motors and 2 young people have been supported to up skill with Math & English L2. As the OT Employability program develops, it is hoped to achieve further employment support and training for the young people being engaged with employer/placement partnership organisations and continuing with IAG 1-2-1 to ensure a tailored approach. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 39 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8671 Providence Row Employability & Progression (E&P) programme helping homeless people get closer to, or into, employment Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Our Employability & Progression (E&P) project will support 110 extremely vulnerable, disadvantaged and excluded homeless people in Tower Hamlets, annually. Through our numerous tried-and-tested learning, training, peer mentoring, work-placement and employment opportunities we will help people get off, and stay off, the streets and begin leading more independent, self-sustaining lives. Progress Update The project was able to deliver their Employability & Progression (E&P) project to 64 homeless people in Tower Hamlets during this fivemonth period. They received 78 client referrals, 64 of whom engaged with them in a more meaningful way through their variety of learning, training and work-readiness activities. As well as self-referrals and referrals from Providence Row's numerous homelessness support teams, the E&P project also received client referrals from seven homeless hostels in the borough; four of which we also deliver elements of the project on-site at in order to boost client engagement. While the project has gone well, there have also been some complications. These have ranged from: 1. Their clients being more complex and with greater levels of need (mental health and substance use issues being the most common) than they have experienced over previous years. This results in it taking longer to engage clients in their work which can mean their outcomes are lower than expected. 2. A member of the E&P team left their organisation to take on a new role in October 2023 and so they were recruiting to fill that vacant post which set them back slightly in terms of their work with their clients when this funding started in November 2023. The project managed to fill the role fairly quickly on this occasion which was great news but it took a few weeks for the new member of staff to start providing out full package of support to their clients. 3. The project only just started running their Peer Mentor project again in late-February 2024 having paused it during the pandemic. As a result, the numbers are lower than expected during this first pilot-phase of their new Peer Mentor project and they expect the numbers to rise with the following client cohorts from May 2024 onwards. 4. It's difficult for them to run their Garden Trainee Scheme during the winter as the garden doesn't need much maintaining. Now that Spring has arrived this will pick up momentum again and the numbers on their Trainee scheme will increase as a result. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 40 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8952 Stepney Community Trust (SCT) “Employment Pathways” Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description “Employment Pathways” will develop training and support programmes for local people, farthest away from the job market, to improve employability and become better able to compete for jobs; the programme will comprise skills training, 1-1 mentoring, practical job search activities and work experience to progress along ‘employment pathways’. Progress Update Much of this quarter was dedicated to setting up administrative systems and building partnership links with other community organisations and services, essential to the delivery of the project. The project has 4 clients registered with the project (2 males and 2 females). They delivered 6 one-to-one sessions in which clients received careers advice; support with job application and writing up personal statement. 1 male is in voluntary work placement in Admin and Graphic design, with their own organisation, Stepney Community Trust. Having access to their service has greatly boosted their confidence and moral as previously they did not have access to this type of support. the project have carried out outreach work locally and attended the TH Connecting Communities’ event to promote our service to borough wide organisations and agencies. They have subsequently established formal partnership working with TH Family Hub and East London Business Alliance and are in the process of building a working relationship with Darul Ummah Mosque Women's group. They have designed and produced the initial poster to promote the service and have created data capture forms to ensure they log all necessary information required for service delivery. These include: Client Registration Form; Equalities monitoring Form; Health Form; Client History Form to capture details of circumstances in the clients life, both past and present, which have resulted in barriers to securing employment, training or education; In Q2 the project aim to deliver skill building and coaching workshops: workshop 1: ‘ My 10 Year Vision - Motivational Workshop’, This aims to empower each client with a positive 10 year vision and plan for their life which includes personal development, finances, mental and physical health. Workshop 2: ‘Skills Identifying & Skills Building Workshop’ . Both of these workshops will inform the Individual Action Plan/ Personal Development Plan for each client. They will also start IT classes in Q2. The project will continue with outreach and promotion of the project, and continue with one to one support Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 41 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9077 Streets of Growth Inspire Talent: Youth employability programme Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description We will support 16-25s Young adults who face complex barriers to work – showcasing their abilities and ensuring successful employment/training transitions. Engaging participants through outreach, we will develop their skills through strategic employer partnerships and a vibrant programme of life skills/work training, career mentoring, work experience and viable career pathways. Progress Update Over this funding period Streets of Growth (SG) delivered the programme to young people aged 16-24 years through 3 cohorts, with a total of 51 young people engaged. All 51 young people engaged to develop key employability along with career insight sessions, work experience placements and transition into employment and apprenticeships. In this quarter 7 young people progressed into employment, with 4 securing part -time employment, 2 securing full-time apprenticeships in Form Work (with Berkeley Homes) and Motor Mechanics. A further 2 young people are awaiting confirmation of apprenticeship placements. This will start in April 2024. Across the cohort all 51 young people have expressed an increased confidence in their career goals. In Feb 2024 half Term held a Young People Award event in which all 51 young people attended to receive awards in various achievements inclusive of accreditations, social action projects, progression etc. A video of the event was attached to the report. 30 of the 51 young people had planned and executed 1 social action initiative within the Nov-March period. The remaining 21 young people will a deliver a social action project in the next quarter. 22 young women engaged in the programming in November. All 22 young women were of BAME heritages (predominately of Bangladeshi heritage). ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8957 The Bangladesh Youth Movement (BYM) “Opening Doors” [The Ethnically Diverse Women’s Engagement Initiative] Shadwell £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description “Opening Doors” is an initiative customised to support those residents furthest from the labour market i.e. females from Bangladeshi and ethnically diverse communities who are regularly excluded from development opportunities; they will build confidence, work-related skills and experience through employment-driven training and work development activities to become ready for work. Progress Update This period Bangladesh Youth Movement (BYM) had 20 participants who took part in regular project activities. They have reported that 4 female participants are progressing into work experience in this period and 1 female is progressing into employment. They have provided case studies of two female participants one of whom is looking to gain employment by this year. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 42 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9047 Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets Improving Employability Through Volunteering Boroughwide £39,250 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Our project will support socially excluded residents from across the borough, including those who are further away from the labour market, to volunteer in local voluntary, community and statutory organisations, where they will gain workplace experience, training, references and improve their employability, skills and confidence. Progress Update The main focus of their work between 1 November 23 and 31 March 24 has been on mobilisation of the Improving Employability Through Volunteering (IETV) programme. They have done this by: • Making contacts and building relationships with partners and referrals agencies that support our target groups • Developing publicity material and enrolment documentation for the programme • Working with numerous VCS and public sector organisations to develop a wide range of appealing volunteering roles that provide training and skills development opportunities • Promoting and raising awareness of volunteering to residents via stalls and presentations In particular the project has been working very closely with Workpath colleagues. On 12 October 2023, just before their IETV programme began, they held a stall promoting volunteering at the Workpath Jobs and Skills Fair. Since then, they have been planning the delivery of sessions specifically for Workpath clients, to start in May 2024, and for a large-scale Volunteering Fair on 3 June 2024. They have also secured a commitment from Workpath to provide help with reimbursing travel expenses for Workpath clients who volunteer, when their expenses cannot be reimbursed by VCS organisations. This will remove a significant barrier to volunteering for people on low incomes. They have been busy promoting volunteering to local students and unemployed people. They have held stalls at number of events and delivered bespoke presentations, selling the benefits of volunteering and raising awareness of volunteering roles currently available (see attachment uploaded for details). During the 5-month period, 367 individuals have registered with Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets to express an interest in volunteering. During April-June, they will be contacting them, sifting them to assess their eligibility and appetite for joining the IETV programme (participants will be unemployed, under-employed or in unsatisfactory employment). The project will then enrol them, implement baseline questionnaires, identify any barriers, and tailor support to help them secure and start in suitable volunteering roles. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 43 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8964 Working Well Trust Upskill Works Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description We will support people with lived experience of mental health, learning disabilities and/or neurodiversity to address the barriers to progressing towards employment, to improve their employment prospects, to achieve and sustain their employment goals. Progress Update This quarter Upskill Works was able to engage with a number of referral partners, developing marketing material and attending a number of community events, residents wanting to achieve employment goals were able to access the project from mid-November. They have been able to work with a number of residents to identify long term employment goals and to support people to move closer to those goals in a step by step approach. Accessing a range of activities courses and volunteering opportunities including Esol, Confidence Building and vocational courses meant a number of residents were able to enhance their CVs. 15 residents actively engaging and have worked with Upskill to identify long term goals via action planning and working towards long term employment goals. 3 people have secured paid employment in this quarter. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 44 Scheme B – Sports and Local Culture and Heritage ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9086 Bromley By Bow Community Organisation BBBCO Sporting Community Bromley South £15,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description BBBCO Sporting Community will provide sporting sessions to young people to improve their physical and mental health; develop their personal skills and social connections; act as a diversionary hook away from negative activities. Progress Update The project has reported that they had an excellent registration and on boarding of the project. This included feedback and personal profile measurements of wellbeing and BMI scores from the participants that has been assessed again in February 2024. Various fitness and sports session plans covered by the sports coach and volunteers that has led to a slight increase in well-being and also BMI index. This will be worked on again for the next quarter. The project also had new participants after the sessions had started and publicity material was circulated. Achievements are the improvement in well-being and physical measurements. Using communication tools the project keep the users updated on their results and engagement after the sessions to maintain full attendance. Feedback from users suggest varying the session plans week on week to keep users engaged. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 45 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8897 Four Corners East End Stories Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description “East End Stories” will provide seventy-two Tower Hamlets residents with the opportunity to participate in a programme of training and cultural activities which will culminate in them making films about their local community’s history and culture. Progress Update This project will be delivered in collaboration with Oxford House, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. Oxford House has been a community hub in Bethnal Green since its inception in 1884, housing many types of community groups involved in local activism, arts, music and dance. Oxford House has digitised a vast amount of its archive spanning its fascinating history. For this project, Oxford House will open up its archives to the public for the first time. The project will work with local volunteers to explore decades of change in Tower Hamlets and share important stories from the local, diverse community. Volunteers will delve into the archives and make three short films about local history, learning new skills such as Premiere Pro editing during the project. The films will be screened at a celebratory event later in the year and will become part of Oxford House's permanent digital archive, accessible to anyone. The project are currently recruiting volunteers through websites and social media. They have had an encouraging level of interest and plan to interview potential volunteers shortly. They have not yet delivered any activity but expect to be able to provide much more information about participants in the next quarterly report. The project has recruited a Premiere Pro tutor, who will accompany the volunteers on their 'Meet the Archivist' research visits to the Oxford House archives beginning in April and will formulate a teaching schedule based on these meetings. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 46 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9050 Half Moon Young People's Theatre Professional Theatre and Inclusive Participatory Drama for Young People Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project has achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Professional theatre shows and inclusive participatory drama opportunities in an accessible venue and in Children and Family Centres around the borough. Activity is for ages 0-18 (or 25 for disabled young people) from all backgrounds and abilities from across Tower Hamlets, with free access support for anyone with needs/disabilities. Progress Update During the first reporting period (November 2024 - March 2025), HMYPT had 198 members, 52 of whom are disabled or have additional needs. Additionally, HMYPT were visited by 14 different theatre companies who performed to over 2000 audience members. In terms of activities the different group groups spent most of their spring term learning how to make a piece of theatre from scratch by writing short scenes for the younger groups to perform. The group wrote scripts, designed their own costumes and props, and planned lighting and set design. In terms of geography, participants were evenly spread from across the borough with Mile End having a slightly larger representation than the other wards. Financial reporting shows spend on track with budget. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 47 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8860 Kayd Somali Arts & Culture Tower Hamlets in Focus: Somali Arts Project Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Celebrate and showcasing Somali arts and culture in Tower Hamlets through a series of engaging events during the Somali Week Festival. Featuring a family weekend, a captivating documentary highlighting the historical significance of Somalis in East London, and a commissioned British-Somali play. Preserving cultural heritage &promoting artistic expression and storytelling. Progress Update In this quarter, Kayd launch their first event in collaboration with Galool, Home of Somali Education Resources, and Oxford House,. Kayd organised a fun family weekend event which included many activities, such as storytelling, games, cultural exhibitions, watching cartoons in the Somali language, interactive workshops, face painting, sing-alongs, cultural dances, and poetry recitation. The launch of this event was vital for Somali parents and their children as it gave them the space to learn a lot from their cultures and heritage. For example, for some sessions, cartoon programs that spoke the Somali language were shown to the children so they could learn some Somali words. This session was also helpful to the parents because it allowed their children to learn more about Somali culture through the children's entertainment industry. Furthermore, this event fostered community cohesion among Somali families. Kayd also organized workshops regarding parenting methods and coping mechanisms. Around 170 families came for the event; 40 were parents, and the rest were children. Over 70% came from the Tower Hamlet area. However, some came from different locations, including west and north of London. Hence, some of the significant outcomes of this event included increasing community engagement in cultural activity among Tower Hamlets residents They have also been introduced on the parents' apps and other social media channels they can use to teach their Somali languages. Furthermore, Kayd organised the steering group committee for the documentary production of "Untold Stories of Somaliland Community in East London," and have also recruited filming crew including producer of the documentary, and filming and interview sessions will start in the upcoming months. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 48 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8983 Magic Me CREATIVE MIX Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £39,958 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description CREATIVE MIX: a year-round programme of relationship building, arts workshops and creative events in and around Bethnal Green that will bring older and younger residents together, increasing individuals’ confidence and wellbeing, building connections across different faiths, cultures and backgrounds, through creativity and the arts. Progress Update During this period the project delivered: - 5 taster sessions at 3 Sheltered Housing Schemes (Rochester Court, Vic Johnson House, Ted Roberts House) - 2 Project introductory sessions at Mulberry UTC - 5 Project workshops at Ted Roberts House - 1 Intergenerational Gathering The project worked with: 16 young people in total; 19 older people attended taster workshops; 5 older people attended project workshops Project Achievements - Gateway Housing confirmed partner for older people engagement. They are keen to be part of this project after lower engagement of residents following the pandemic. - Mulberry UTC confirmed younger people partner after original partner (Mulberry School for Girls) were no longer able to take part. Health & Social Care students are taking part as part of their course. - Bringing older residents from different Gateway Housing Schemes together - this is unusual post pandemic as social activity across Gateway schemes has diminished, and residents less open to new opportunities. - Bringing older and younger people together for the first time at the intergenerational gathering. Participants fed back that it was great to exchange stories and "it was lovely" talking toe (5 of which attended regularly) each other. Challenges - Relationship building and building trust with older participants has taken longer than expected, due to structural changes in the Sheltered Housing Schemes since the pandemic. The project therefore extended the time assigned to recruitment and older people only sessions, and delayed delivery at Pott Street as it didn't feel appropriate. Intergenerational sessions at Pott Street are scheduled from late April onwards. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 49 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9087 Ocean Youth Connexions Physical Health and fitness programmes St Dunstan’s £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description We want to continue deliver a Taekwondo Session for young girls from the BAME communities, a BAME men’s cycling activity and a weekend football programme that addresses social exclusions Progress Update The project registered 28 young people for their football sessions and 5 adults for the cycling. They have been holding regular football sessions at George Green's Astro Pitch and organising cycling sessions on a fortnightly basis. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8882 Osmani Trust OC Active – Community Sports & Health Project Boroughwide £40,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Our project will provide access to regular sports provision for BAME communities including young girls, women, young adults and men over 45; meeting their family, cultural and religious needs and enabling them to participate fully. The programme will support local people to become Volunteer Champions promoting sports and healthy living. Progress Update The OC Active Sports project has been very well received and welcomed across Tower Hamlets and beyond LBTH. Women in particular have identified substantial gaps in provisions in sport in their local areas and as a result the project has also engaged 13 Women interested & attended an OT Active taster session. The LBTH OC Active Sport club's sessions has seen a wonderful uptake from across TH and from across all demographics of the community. The project has seen rapid development within the first quarter, with 60 service users registered and attending a sports club regularly. On average each participant has attend 3 sessions with the intentions to attend all 5 and or as many sessions as they can. The project hope to grow the OC Active project further with volunteer Health champions, the introduction of Mental Health champions and a sport survey from the whole community to support identifying the demand/need/type of sports provision wanted locally. The project shall have volunteers supporting the summer Tower Hamlets cup and also hope to host a number of collaborations to incorporate health & sport in the community. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 50 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8875 Outside Edge Theatre Company East London Drop-in Drama and Write Now Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description East London Drop-in Drama and East London Write Now will provide free, accessible arts-based activities for vulnerable Tower Hamlets residents affected by addiction that will help improve their health and wellbeing and prevent relapse. Progress Update During this period, the project focused on delivering their Drop-in Drama to participants. These weekly 2-hour sessions offered fun, fast improvisation games and drama activities that help people to build confidence, reduce loneliness, improve wellbeing and develop commitment. The project has had a successful start with 20 sessions being delivered to 35 participants who attended 188 times during Nov 2023 to Mar 2024. Seven participants of the East London Drop-in Drama who have attended consistently for at least three months took part in the JanuaryMarch module of intermediate acting group Edge Two, which focussed on ensemble storytelling and used faerie tales and children’s stories as a prompt to devise a piece which was performed to an audience of 46 at the Brady Arts Centre in Tower Hamlets. For two of these participants who had been attending East London Drop-in Drama consistently, it was their first time participating in this intermediate group. Two regular attendees of East London Drop-in Drama progressed in Outside Edge’s participation pathway, and are now becoming a Peer Volunteers who then co-lead this year’s first sessions of online peer support group, Peer-led Check-in. This group is co-produced with the Participation and Operations Manager, with the co-leads deciding the monthly schedule including one in-person meet-up. As the project developed, it was noted by the organisation of a high attendance of men to their session. As a conscious effort to improve the attendance of women and make it a welcoming environment the organisations made efforts to encourage local services to bring their females, identifying service users to this particular session, organising Outreach Taster Sessions in the local area, and arranging network shares and flyer distribution with local services, arts organisations and community centres. This situation has improved, with 4 new femaleidentifying Service Users joining the group between November 2023-March 2024. With great progress they will continue their outreach work to bring a consistent gender balance to these sessions. In additions to this, they delivered three Drama/Drama and Creative Writing Taster Sessions in three services in the borough. These 1-hour long sessions use fun exercises that target improvements in the Five Ways to Wellbeing (connect, take notice, keep learning, be active, give) to demonstrate to participants how arts activities can help to improve wellbeing. These Taster Sessions were co-facilitated by East London Drop-in Drama service users who are offered volunteering opportunities as part of their Participation Pathway engagement with the organisation. Between November 2024 to March 2024, the organisation delivered three of these sessions for 36 people who would not otherwise have access to arts-based interventions. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 51 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8644 Platform Cricket (Tower Hamlets Youth Sport Foundation) Platform Cricket Hubs: Bethnal Green, Bow, Isle of Dogs, Poplar, Stepney, Wapping & Whitechapel Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates that the project is mostly on track, but additional support is planned AMBER Short Description Establish "pop up" cricket clubs at 7 locations across the borough, providing access for all children but particularly under-represented groups such as girls, ethnic minorities, and those from low-income backgrounds. Sessions will utilise cricket to support personal and social development outcomes. Progress Update During this period, the project focused on starting the engagement with the children from local schools, this was really successful and great feedback was received from both participants and parents. Just before the Easter break, the organisation delivered the program with a focus on healthy nutrition as well as our normal cricketing activities, again the feedback from this indicates that this is something children and parents want to see more of, so in the summer months of delivery there will also be healthy nutritional workshops in the delivery. Summer months of delivery will focus more on using outdoor greenspace and because of weather get activities outside running the festival which welcome everyone. There will be additional support for the group to progress. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 52 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9016 Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre (Also Known as ELMV Shadwell Basin Project) Discover Adventure Sport Project Boroughwide £9,294 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The ‘Discover Adventure Sports Project’ will use outdoor and adventure activities as a vehicle to, both increase the engagement of girls in sports and improve health outcomes for inactive young people. It will target under-represented communities to address the inequalities that exist in the access to adventure sports. Progress Update Girls Sessions 10 girls were enrolled onto the programme and there were 17 sessions that took place on Wednesday evenings over the five-month period. Attendance was very good, despite the cold weather and dark evenings, with an average of just over 8 girls attending each session. A mixed activity programme took place, varying from week to week depending on the weather. Activities included climbing, high ropes, team building challenges, raft building, rowing, stand up paddleboarding, mountain biking, open canoeing, orienteering, indoor bouldering, building improvised shelters and campfire cooking. Many of the girls taking part were aged 9 or 10, which is the lower end of the age range. It was very rewarding to see them building confidence and friendships and the growth in their skills throughout the sessions. Over the period there were 18 awards in total gained by 8 of the participants. Inactive / Healthy Activities There were 5 boys and 5 girls engaged in this programme, who took part in a total of 13 sessions. There were 119 attendances in total over the 13 sessions, with an average attendance of just over 9 young people per session. A mixed activity programme took place, varying from week to week depending on the weather. Activities included climbing, high ropes, team building challenges, orienteering, indoor bouldering, mountain biking, building improvised shelters and campfire cooking. Over the period there were 32 awards gained in total by 10 participants. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 53 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8703 South Poplar and Limehouse Action for Secure Housing (SPLASH) SPLASH Sports and Play clubs Limehouse £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description In England's most densely populated borough, where 41.8% of kids face weight challenges, and 88% live in flats. SPLASH Play offers free supervised play and sport provisions for children aged 5-13. Our dedicated playworkers nurture creativity, empowering kids to explore their imagination, learn, and flourish in a safe, friendly space. Progress Update Achievements and Outcomes 1. Community Integration and Ownership - The project has become an essential part of the community landscape. 2. Diverse Play Activities - Arts and Crafts: Making collages for Easter, Ramadan and Eid using recycled materials to display in the community rooms. Children’s imaginations run wild as they transform everyday items into works of art. Weekly Sports: From table tennis to 5-a-side football, we’ve created a dynamic sports program. Children engage in friendly competition, hone their skills, and build camaraderie. 3. Introducing New Sports 1) Basketball: The rhythmic bounce of the ball echoes through the play area as children learn the fundamentals of this exciting sport. 2) Kite Flying: Against the backdrop of the open sky, colourful kites dance, teaching patience and control. 3) Hull Hoops: The challenge of aiming hoops keeps children engaged and energised. 4. Cooking sessions have become a highlight: Increased participants: The project have noticed a steady rise in attendance during cooking days. Some children exclusively join us for these sessions, eager to explore flavours and techniques. 5. Growing Confidence - Trying New Things: In the kitchen, they experiment with ingredients, and outdoors, they dive into team activities like cops and robbers. Positive Feedback: Participant questionnaires reveal increased confidence and a greater willingness to participate in physical games such as basketball, hull hoops, and kite flying. Mainly by the girls. The porject have taken a confidence baseline for 4 participants. 6. Community celebration - Children from the surrounding estate descended upon their vibrant Open Day and Eid Party like a burst of confetti ready for adventure. The project provided range of activities indoors and outside to give the children the opportunity to take part with their siblings. Children enjoyed playing competitive team games and winning prizes. All the children had food and sweet treats on the day. 7. Recommendations 1. Expand Cooking Sessions -Given their popularity, the project are considering more frequent cooking activities. The aroma of sizzling food outdoors is attracting more children to the session. 2. Strengthen Community Ties -Collaborate with local schools and organisations. Extend our reach to more children who can benefit from our play sessions. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 54 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9064 Udichi Shilpi Gosthi Udichi Performing Arts and Festival Project Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £19,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description UDICHI Performing Arts/Festival Project works with Tower Hamlets Bangladeshi community increasing access and participation in cultural events focusing on Bengali & other cultures/heritages. Project provides quality teaching in music, dance, literature to 420 children/young people over 3.5 years and also delivers X 18 Festivals for 7,000 Tower Hamlets residents. Progress Update Udichi has started to deliver Udichi Performing Arts and Festival project in November 2023. We have recruited 2 music qualified music teachers, 2 qualified dance teachers, coordinator, admin staff and volunteers to deliver the project successfully. We are on track of our target and output. We have delivered two mid-scale events during from November 2023 to March 2024. we have delivered victory day of Bangladesh on 16 December 2023 and International Mother Language Day Celebration on 24 February 2025. 650 total audience from the local community attended both events. The children and adults student of Udichi School of Performing arts took part in music, dance, poetry recitation. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8673 Vallance Community Sports Association SEND Health & Wellbeing Project (Adults) Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A programme of weekly sports and physical activities and a social club for Adults (18 years and above) with special educational needs and disabilities for the purpose of increasing sports participation, improving health and wellbeing (including mental health), and reducing loneliness, isolation and exclusion. Progress Update During this quarter, the Physical and Mental Health programme for adults with disabilities participating in sports activities has made substantial progress and achieved significant outcomes. They have progressed in the following areas: Increased Participation: The project saw a noticeable increase in participant engagement, with more adults with disabilities actively taking part in sports activities; Skill Development: Participants demonstrated improvements in physical fitness, sports skills, and overall well-being through regular training and sessions; Community Integration: The programme played a crucial role in fostering social connections and community integration for individuals with disabilities; Positive Feedback: Continuous positive feedback from participants, indicating high satisfaction levels and the beneficial impact of the program on their physical and mental health. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 55 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8752 Wapping Youth Services FitLife: Wellness Through Sports Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description FitLife: Wellness Through Sports initiative is a project that promotes improved health and well-being of residents. Through targeted activities, the project aims to foster engagement, physical and mental wellness, and a sense of pride in the diverse cultural community for all the residents of Tower Hamlets. Progress Update Wellness Through Sports, was to organise community events such as regular football and BJJ sessions. However, due to delays in the receipt of the grant funds from the council, no events were able to be organised during the specified period. While the project was unable to deliver any events during the period of November 2023 to March 2024, the project made significant progress in securing resources and facilities for future activities. Their achievements during this period include the pre-booking of football pitches for block bookings and securing premises for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) sessions. Additionally, they have received considerable interest from the community regarding mountain treks, and they are currently in the process of booking a coach for participants. The bookings for these activities will be finalised shortly. Regrettably, no project activities took place during the period of November 2023 to March 2024. However, the project remained engaged with stakeholders and community members to communicate updates regarding the project status and the delays encountered. Their focus during this period was on securing bookings and resources for future events. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 56 Appendix 3.4 Theme 4 – Investing in Public Services Scheme A - Physical and Mental Health Wellbeing of Older People ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8969 Age UK East London Activity Buddy Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. Satisfactory report. GREEN Short Description Our tried and tested, volunteer-led Activity Buddy scheme uses both 1:1 and group sessions to support older people to build the trust and confidence to get out into the community, connect with others and become more active and informed. Progress Update During this period the project has supported 11 beneficiaries. The project has demonstrated progress against its KPIs and Outcomes. Only 5 of the 11 had 2 SWEMBS scores to measure with as the rest were too early in the service to obtain a 2nd score. 100% (5 of 5) of participants report: feeling less isolated and lonely by end of year 1; they feel more included and integrated in their community each year; 91% (10 of 11) of all participants access wider support and services; 45% (5 of 11) of all participants are more physically active. The rest of the clients have although matched with a volunteer, have yet to start attending their in-person physical sessions. Project monitoring demonstrates engagement of older people in line with application expectations on geographical and equalities monitoring. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8826 Asian People's Disability Alliance Can you See Us - Standing Up for Older People Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description This is a Daycare & Development Project for Older women with Disabilities and long-term Health Conditions. By supporting their physical, emotional, social, and environmental needs, we may improve the quality of life for older persons with impairments and health issues. Progress Update 42 sessions have been undertaken throughout this period from 01/11 to 31/03, even during the Period of Ramadan sessions were well attended. On average 60-70 women attended per week in the two sessions held in Hason Raja & Minerva Community centres. The participated in exercise, dance and movement sessions, arts and crafts & health information workshops. Users were also supported to feed into the Tower Hamlets consultation on leisure centres and Disability access needs. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 57 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9073 Community of Refugees from Vietnam - East London Vietnamese and Chinese Lunch and Social Club Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The Vietnamese &Chinese Lunch Club (VCLC) provides healthy food, a lunch club, a range of social activities and promotes healthy living in all forms for older people in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Progress Update During this period the project has supported 60 beneficiaries. The Vietnamese and Chinese Lunch and Social Club has delivered a comprehensive range of services to older Vietnamese and Chinese people from providing nutritious meals, opportunities to learn cooking healthy and affordable meals, to engaging in social and health-focused activities that promote health and mental wellbeing and combat loneliness and social isolation. Some of the sessions that have been delivered include: dexterity games, Tai Chi sessions, table tennis and ballroom dancing. During this period the project has supported people by quipping them with knowledge and resources to lead healthier lives. Through informative sessions, health screenings, and workshops the project has provided opportunities for its members to learn about the different health conditions that affect them. For those that live on their own or are housebound, the project has established a volunteer outreach programs, social activities, transportation services, technology training, and home visits to ensure that no member feels alone or disconnected. Though the project was only running for 5 months it has managed to achieve some positive outcomes. Out of the 60 people that are registered to the project 35% of these participants have reported improved physical wellbeing; 33% reported improved psychological wellbeing and 38% reported improved diet and healthy eating habits. Project monitoring demonstrates engagement of Vietnamese and Chinese older people in line with application expectations on geographical and equalities monitoring. Financial reporting shows spend on track with budget. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 58 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9004 East London Msque Trust The Senior Citizens Project Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The Senior Citizens Project at East London Mosque supports elderly men and women over 50 to tackle loneliness and isolation and improve their health and well-being through social activity, exercise, and awareness sessions in a culturally sensitive space and gives access to a healthy meal through a health cafe. Progress Update During this period, the project supported 64 older residents both male and female. The Project was designed using the 5 ways to Health and well-being tool kit looking at connection, being active, taking notice, keep learning and giving. The project started the session with CoProduction with the participants designing the sessions. The Project is in two parts: one for men and one for women at the Maryam centre. The project recruited a female coordinator to oversee the project in the MC and that delayed the Project start date from officially January 2024 but designing the trailing of the project started from November 2023 with the volunteers. The project has also recruited volunteers to assist the staff as the project has a large number of people in each group. During this period staff and volunteers spent a lot of time listening and learning together inviting professionals like the End-of-Life team and Diabetes UK to talk and raise awareness. The co-production element has been great, and it means that the participants decide on when they want to attend and the duration and what they want to learn and where they want to go. The project has demonstrated making good progress against KPIs. In this period: - 25 elderly men report feeling less lonely and isolated and report improvements in their physical and mental health wellbeing - 39 elderly women report feeling less lonely and isolated and report improvements in their physical and mental health wellbeing Project monitoring demonstrates engagement of men and women in line with application expectations on equalities monitoring. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 59 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8868 English National Ballet Dancing East Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description Dancing East is English National Ballet’s programme of creative ballet classes for participants aged over 50 living in Tower Hamlets and is designed to improve physical and mental wellbeing through dance in community centres across the borough. Progress Update Activities and achievements in the period: - 8 weekly sessions took place in three centres: Neighbours in Poplar, Sundial Centre and Toynbee Hall and approximate number of participants across three centres has been 30 dancers. - The focus for the term was on ENB repertoire, David Dawson's Four Last Songs and Andrea Miller’s Les Noces, with a focusing on each work for four weeks. - We established a new relationship with Custom House and Canning Town Community Group, a community group based in St Luke’s in Canning Town, approx. 15 minutes from ENB's building (MCD), which has continued to grow and develop. We initiated contact with the group in summer 2023, and invited the group to visit ENB in September 2023, welcoming the group into our building. We led a building tour and delivered a short introduction to the company and the Engagement team. We showed the group a few clips and costumes from some of the company’s productions too, and offered refreshments. 17 participants attended. - From conversations across our Dancing East community centres, the need for this activity was apparent as many participants described the programme as "a lifeline", and "a chance for them to meet and speak to likeminded people". We have streamlined activity where appropriate in meeting the demands of the centre’s timetables and we have looked at artistic content and set-up to ensure the programme remains relevant, artistically challenging for the participants and creatively innovative. - The focus on connecting the participants to a professional performing company, was continuously strengthened by introducing the company’s repertoire within sessions and providing free tickets to ENB working stage rehearsals at the London Coliseum. Approximate numbers of participants who took up the ticket offers: 28 dancers for December 2023 (Nutcracker) and 30 dancers for January 2024 (Mary Skeaping's Giselle). - Based on evaluation with participants and centre managers across Dancing East, participants have reported that the dance classes have improved their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. Additionally, participants have noted the improvement to their energy levels, coordination, and muscle strength through taking part in our programmes. - Dancers from one of our Dancing East centres, Sundial Centre, completed an evaluation wellbeing scale earlier in the year where they were asked to answer a series of questions based on how much they agreed that the ENB dance classes impacted their wellbeing. There were 6 statements, including ‘I feel confident’ and ‘I feel connected to other people’ and the questionnaire was completed by 10 dancers. The average score across all 6 statements was 4.3, with 5 being the highest value of ‘All of the time’. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 60 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8942 Globe Community Project Wellbeing for Elders Bethnal Green West (formerly St Peter's) £39,903 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A powerful mindfulness-based programme serving over-60s at risk of severe loneliness and isolation in Tower Hamlets supporting them to increase connection with others and themselves and lead richer, more active and fulfilling lives. Participants improve their resilience using proven tools to improve awareness and agency over thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Progress Update During this start-up period the project focused on project initiation, including: detailed research mapping Tower Hamlets loneliness hotspots, researching partnership potential in hotspot areas, recruiting a Bangla-speaking Outreach worker (male), using a rigorous process including language tests, to ensure the project can reach as many people in the target group as possible, exploring potential to contract a Bangladeshi female outreach worker for courses and events specifically for Bangladeshi women. Project staff organised partnership and networking meetings with Age UK East London, Ocean Regeneration Trust, Breathing Space, Tower Hamlets Carers Centre, St Joseph’s Hospice / Compassionate Neighbours scheme, Neighbours in Poplar, ELOP, Tower Hamlets Family Hubs. The project advertised its service at Tower Hamlets Connection Coalition, Age UK East London, community centre open days and project staff attended Social Action for Health launch event of research on minoritised men’s health in Tower Hamlets During this reporting period the project has supported 11 people. Some progress has been made against the KPIs which include: - 7 people aged over 60 reported increased psychological resilience - 7 people aged over 60 reported increased high-quality connection with others and feel a tangible experiential sense of belonging. - 7 people aged over 60 reported increased know-how to access the available spaces, activities and services that they want and need to mitigate loneliness The organisation has hired a new Outreach & Engagement Lead, at a benchmarked salary rate and with excellent benefits, in line with GCP goal to be a really good organisation to work for. GCP have been awarded a 3-year core grant of £104K from the Henry Smith Charity, and a £25K project grant for work with female refugees from the Postcode Society Trust. These grants mean GCP are beginning to build their sustainability as an organisation, Project monitoring demonstrates engagement of participants in line with application expectations on geographical and equalities monitoring. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 61 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8973 Island House Community Centre SENIORS Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The Seniors Project addresses loneliness and isolation in older people within Tower Hamlets through regular initiatives covering physical and mental health, social needs, and practical skills. Extending our existing programme will increase the range of social and health activities available to improve mental and physical health amongst the over-fifties. Progress Update During the Nov - March period Island House Community Centre provided 79 sessions of overall support to local SENIORS and recorded 569 attendances. As per the application (both in terms of demographic and stated activity), support for older people included: * 13 Choir sessions * 18 Craft Club sessions *7 lunch club sessions * 38 exercises classes (of two levels) * 3 health workshops. The project continues to thrive, however, challenges during this period include closure of the luncheon club to retirement of a long-term volunteer as well as long-term sickness of the long-standing Chair Exercise tutor (2 months), during which attendance temporarily deteriorated despite successfully recruiting cover. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 62 8903 Neighbours In Poplar Bengali Womens Holistic Project Blackwall and Cubitt Town £25,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Following extensive research by NIP, we have discovered that there is a lack of community provision for local elderly Bengali women. We therefore, propose to outreach to local elderly Bengali women residing in the E14 area to attend and take full advantage of the many services and activities from NIP. Progress Update During this quarter, the Bengali Women’s Holistic Project has made significant strides to support Bengali residents aged over 50 in the E14 area, with a particular focus on those in Isle of Dogs and Poplar. Through a range of interventions, significant achievements and outcomes were realised, positively impacting the lives of Bengali women within the community. The currennt outcome achieved: Financial Support: - They have supported seven individuals in securing PIP benefits, providing vital financial relief and backdated payments totalling over £1,700 monthly. - Assisted six clients with online Universal Credit applications, ensuring accurate submissions and easing financial burdens. - Successfully completed two carer allowance applications, providing £81.90 per week to beneficiaries. This was after I completed and they were successfully awarded disability benefits for their partners/ parent. - Aided in resolving rent arrears and accessing housing benefits/council tax reductions online for three clients, mitigating economic challenges during the Cost-of-Living Crisis. - Guided one person through claiming pension credit, offering crucial financial support after their Universal Credit had been stopped. - Enabled two clients to obtain disabled freedom passes and 60+ bus passes, enhancing mobility and community engagement. In the Digital Inclusion support: - Provided essential digital assistance, including setting up emails and aiding with various online forms, such as attendance allowance and universal credit, particularly for those facing language barriers. Impact: The support, specifically in aiding financial stability through our welfare benefits support, significantly reduced mental distress and loneliness amongst clients, fostering improved wellbeing and community engagement. During this quarter, the organisation has actively built relationships with other organisations for collaborative workshops, laying the groundwork for future endeavours. The first quarter was used to leaflet and market the project, engage with residents in outreach work so as to gather input and feedback on desired sessions and activities for the future. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 63 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8632 Shadwell Trust Bridging the Gap Shadwell £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. Satisfactory Report. GREEN Short Description Bridging the Gap will provide access to physical activity and mobility sessions to older people. The activities will be delivered from Tarling East Community Centre in partnership with Sonali Gardens, Linkage Plus and Tower Hamlets Community Housing. We also plan to run social club and activity classes for older people. Progress Update During this period the project has supported 20 participants through providing a range of health and wellbeing activities which include physical and mobility sessions, art classes and social club sessions. The project started in December 2024 and it has captured initial registration, attendance and baseline information for each client. The project will be able to report on the KPIs by the next monitoring period. Through anecdotal evidence staff have observed that the project is beginning to make a positive impact on people's lives by reducing isolation; increasing social networks and promoting wellbeing. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9032 SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets Growing Together Shadwell £40,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A health and mental wellbeing improvement programme targeting older people through tackling loneliness, inactivity and isolation. The project will reduce digital isolation to give older people greater access to services and convenience and imbed strategies to improve intergenerational relations through a volunteering scheme with local young students. Progress Update During the first few months of the reporting period, the organisation was focused on mobilising the project, developing a project plan and design, recruitment, as well as developing a comms plan. Activities delivered during this period include: * herb box growing; making wind chimes; spring crafts; crocheting; painting on canvas; board games; bingo; quizzes and competitions. The organisation reports 'regular and high' attendance of the sessions, with an average turnout of approximately 12- 15 attendees. For the coming 6 weeks the organisation has plans to spend more time outdoors in the orchard and will be organising trips to the Tower of London and local walkabouts and trails. In total 6 young volunteers participated on the project as well as 6 local residents who have been supporting the sessions. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 64 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8956 Somali Senior Citizens Club “Granby Hall Seniors’ Club” Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Granby Hall Seniors’ Club will promote health and well-being of vulnerable local elders, particularly, but not exclusively, from the Somali community living in Tower Hamlets experiencing social isolation, economic deprivation and reduced independence by providing a programme of health and developmental activities at our Granby Hall Centre. Progress Update The project has supported 96 residents during this period by providing them with a range of health and wellbeing services which help beneficiaries to engage in self-management behaviours by providing them with the knowledge and resources they need to make informed decisions. The project delivers outreach, access to health information, including emotional and mental well-being, communicating living well post-Covid and social connection through social and cultural events. In collaboration with local community organizations and NHS health, the project designs and delivers culturally sensitive series of sessions for elderly participants. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 65 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8864 St Hilda's East Community Centre Over 50's Feeling Good Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. Satisfactory report. GREEN Short Description The aim of Over 50s Feeling Good is to provide a programme of activity for older people which allows them to experience joy through taking part in exciting and challenging activity, fostering social connections, and improving their physical and mental health in an environment that is comfortable, safe and inclusive. Progress Update During this period of funding the project has seen its partnerships continue to blossom with the introduction of new and exciting projects. The project has increased the number of regular activities that meet the needs and wishes of the local community, therefore increasing wellbeing and social cohesion. In this funding period the project held 10 weeks of walking 4 netball sessions and added Yoga to the timetable and held workshops such as ‘Money and Mental Health’. The over 50s feel good programme has been able to work with some larger organisations and offer participants new and exciting opportunities. Sadler’s Wells Theatre have been running dance classes and offer the group a chance to perform at the theatre. Participants have also completed an 8- week project working alongside Historical Royal Palaces team at the Tower of London. These opportunities are fantastic because they allow our older people to explore new places. During this period the project has supported 45 older people. The project has demonstrated good progress against the annual KPI targets which include: - 99% of 42 participants surveyed reported improved physical health and wellbeing - 93% of 42 participants surveyed reported improved social connections and sense of community. - 90% of 42 participants surveyed reported improved mental wellbeing. The organisation demonstrates strengthened governance through engagement of new board members to address needs. In addition, the organisation has appointed a new Head of Programme Development and new Head of Operations to strengthen delivery of its strategy and programmes. Project monitoring demonstrates engagement of older in line with application expectations on geographical and equalities monitoring. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 66 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9002 Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours Befriending for Isolated Older People Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A free befriending and advocacy service for older people experiencing loneliness and social isolation in Tower Hamlets through one-to-one befriending visits in people’s homes, group outings enabling people to meet others in a similar situation, and telephone befriending for additional support particularly at times of crisis. Progress Update During this period, the project has supported 192 Tower Hamlets residents and received 51 referrals. The project has continued to escort older residents to outings organised by third parties like the Alzheimer's Society. The project distributed over 160 goodie bags as Christmas presents. This included toiletries, shawls, gloves, hats for physical warmth, as well as puzzle books for mental stimulation and sweet treats (where appropriate). During this period, the project has achieved some positive outcomes which include: - 47 older people surveyed reported a reduction in loneliness - 58 older people surveyed report feeling more confident in dealing with everyday situation. The period November 2023 to March 2024 has been one of significant change for the organisation. The introduction of a new CEO has been met with a positive response from a cross range of stakeholders internally and externally. Work has begun on better networking the organisation with local partnerships. During this period the organisation has secured 2/3 of its funding for the year 2024/25 with a pipeline in excess of £80k worth of applications pending. It is the intention that the organisation will reopen its volunteering programme to new volunteers in June 2024 to coincide with the Big Help Out. During the period the organisation has begun a monthly newsletter for stakeholders, updated its social media channels and reinvigorated its website. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 67 9052 Wapping Bangladesh Association Active Plus - Wapping BME Older Person's Day Club Shadwell £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description WBA’s Older Person’s Healthy Living Club is a community-based day club run at the Wapping’s Youth Club that will a Lunch Club Programme and a variety of social and cultural socialisation activities that bringing improvements to the physical and emotional well-being to vulnerable Bangladeshi and BME older people. Progress Update During this period, the project has supported 80 residents during this period through providing a range of health and wellbeing activities that have reduced isolation and improved peoples physical and mental health. The project has achieved positive outcomes during this period which include: - 90% of Older people from black, minority ethnic communities report improved physical wellbeing - 95% of Older people from black, minority ethnic communities report improved mental and emotional wellbeing - 95% of Older people from black, minority ethnic communities report feeling less lonely. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8979 Zacchaeus - Methodist Church in Tower Hamlets Zacchaeus Health and Wellbeing for Older People Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Zacchaeus aims to provide a range of wrap around/holistic offers of advice, information, access to benefits, support groups and health, social and therapeutic sessions to reduce isolation for older people. Aiming to promote healthy lifestyles, increase opportunities for physical activity participation, working towards a better mutual understanding of different cultures. Progress Update During this reporting period the Zacchaeus project has delivered a range of health and wellbeing activities to reduce isolation and promote healthier lifestyles. The sessions were advertised through the Zacchaeus networks including the social prescribing teams in Tower Hamlets and through project newsletters which were emailed and posted to over 500 members in December 2023 and March 2024. The project has supported 62 beneficiaries during this period. The work of the project has made a real difference to the individuals attending by reducing isolation; increasing social networks and promoting wellbeing. The users have shown increased self-esteem and confidence and now recognise the benefits of physical activity as well as healthy eating. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 68 Scheme B - Physical and Mental Health of Residents ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8857 Body & Soul You Are Not Alone Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description A suicide-prevention programme for young people (aged 16-30) most at risk of suicide in Tower Hamlets, addressing increasing demand and complex needs, particularly among marginalised communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and rising cost of living. Progress Update The outreach element begun in this period, reaching out to health care providers and relevant local organisations. However, the delay in receiving the grant agreement and payments has resulted in a delay in the project developing the specific offering to Tower Hamlets. Despite this the project has supported 10 suicidal young people from Tower Hamlets in this period. However, it is too soon in their recovery journey to be able to report on outcomes from this cohort. As the project was expected to have a slow start, as well as the effort it is making to increase self and organisational referrals, it is expected that 120 Tower Hamlets individual participants supported over the 41 months of funding will be achieved. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8905 Bromley By Bow Centre Connect for Health Bow East £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Working alongside local self-employed sessional leads (physical activity coaches, artists, and facilitators) to support residents to participate activity sessions. Sessions are designed to improve health and connection, and include both broad open access activities and those targeted at specific audiences. Progress Update Coordinator recruited and joined the Centre Dec 2024 and they quickly connected with local coaches and the community to start research services and interested community members. In this period the project has supported 71 residents, through 36 sessions, resulting in 384 attendances. Sessions range to meet participants needs and interests. Their black history month activities resulted in a new social and wellbeing group being created. Coproduction activities have taken place with all stakeholders through existing forums and bespoke events. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 69 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8947 Canaan Project Canaan Project: Young Women's Mentoring Blackwall and Cubitt Town £25,000 Project exceeding targets with additional financial support from Children in need to enable this. GREEN Short Description A mentoring programme offering 1-1 support for young women with the aim of seeing them flourish, have broadened horizons and raised aspirations. Progress Update The project exceeded participant targets by engaging fourteen young people resulting in six young women being supported through one-toone mentoring. In addition, the project piloted a 6-week group mentoring course in Canary Wharf College with the other eight young women engaged. Working in partnership with the school has resulted in a clear pathway for the young women attending, working with Barbados who are launching their therapy and well-being service in the College from September. Outcomes evaluation demonstrated that 100% of participants reported increased hopes and aspirations for their futures because of support from a mentor. Thirteen young women either increased engagement with Canaan’s other activities or accepted a referral to another organisation. Other outcomes reported included that 100% of the attendees feeling more confident and better about themselves, stating they better understand what others need, and have improved awareness of how to stay safer in relationships. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8858 Carers Centre Tower Hamlets Building Resilience and Resourcefulness for Unpaid Carers Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Carers provided with a range of therapies, respite, and learning opportunities including, wellness days; art and creative activities; practical workshops on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle; and courses delivered by professionals to develop the skills required to effectively manage their caring role; and look after themselves. Progress Update Eighteen drop-in sessions took place at the London Buddhist Centre (LBC) benefiting twenty registered participants. Participant feedback included demonstration of improved coping mechanisms for dealing with the challenges of their caring role, leading to potentially increased resilience and reduced burnout. Attendance at the well-being sessions resulted in an improved quality of life for carers, allowing them to better balance their caring role responsibilities with their personal needs and interests. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 70 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8736 Council Of Mosques - Tower Hamlets Council of Mosque Healthy Mind, Healthy Lifestyle Reach Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring demonstrates that the project is mostly on track, but additional support is planned AMBER Short Description This healthy living project aims to improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of BAME residents through a programme of community events, practical workshops and one-to-one health support, advice and information that will raise awareness of health risks, illnesses and diseases most profound amongst the borough’s BAME communities. Progress Update This Project had a delayed start, as it took longer than expected to complete the Grant agreement and as a result the Project work and financial spend commenced from February 2024. The Project commenced its work undertaking the following activities during the month of February and March 2024: - Engaging with 11 Mosques through the outreach face-to-face work, telephone and some online meetings to promote this health driven subject of this project. - Talks with Mosques Trustees has begun to raise the health issues, health matters, health conditions affecting the Mosque congregation. - General feedback on health conditions has been noted to identify most commonly affected and this will be used to develop a programme of activities on which areas of health and healthy living should be targeted next. - Potential health activities has been discussed and consulted with the Mosques to get the programme going. - Project staff have spent time on putting a series of learning materials on a number of health themes to circulate and distribute to the Mosques Congregation. The project will be receiving additional support to meet the targets. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 71 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8932 deafPLUS Improving the Health and Wellbeing of the deaf and hard of hearing community Boroughwide £40,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A borough wide health and wellbeing project that addresses health inequalities for deaf and hard of hearing residents, addresses their mental health issues and enables them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Progress Update The project has had a change of worker during this period. This has meant that the not all expected activities took place. However, fourteen participants engaged in a range of project activities, including a Sign Language Week Workshop. Feedback from participants undertaking evaluation, through forms and feedback to the worker, demonstrates that 100% report improved health and wellbeing by engaging in project activities. It also shows that 100% had a positive engagement with project activities. In addition, there has been coproduction work with participants that has resulted in a new programme being designed to bring about grant outcomes for participants. The organisation plans to work with their grant officer to agree and amend the grant agreement in line project development brought about through coproduction. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8940 elop (East London Out Project) Tower Hamlets LGBT+ Support Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description LGBT+ Community Support to enhance peer networks, lessen isolation and provide mental health crisis prevention support. Two facilitated social support groups targeting older people, people with mental health needs or other disabilities, and LGBT asylum seekers, and one to one mental health support providing individual mental health crisis prevention support. Progress Update During the period the organisation has run 40 group sessions at Toynbee Hall, 20 of each 50 plus group and social support group, benefitting 22 participants. They have recruited and inducted 3 new volunteers who work alongside 2 existing volunteers supporting the groups and providing additional support for those that need it. The project has also provided individual mental health support to 5 participants. Outcomes reported by participants include: • 100% reported Increased social connection & feel less isolated; 100% Increased wellbeing and mental health • 85% Improved life satisfaction & quality of life; 87.5% Increased wellbeing and mental health • 87.5% Increased confidence and empowerment Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 72 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8966 Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge Our Voices Sakinah Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A co-produced, community-based project for diverse Muslim women to come together to support each other’s mental health and wellbeing through creating a network of safe spaces. The project supports women to have a greater voice and access services that promote positive mental health. Progress Update Our Voices Sakinah has run two groups benefitting 23 women, one located in Whitechapel and the other in in Bow, in this reporting period. Sessions provided peer support, access to tailored interventions, and learning to gain knowledge about mental health and well-being. They recruited and trained two new peer leaders to join the team. They are in the process of developing and initiating new groups. Despite the delayed mobilisation period of signing off the project funding agreement and late grant payments, the project successfully recruited a support worker. Case studies submitted evidence positive outcomes for individuals. However, the 5-month reporting period has meant the stage of outcome evaluation with all participants has not aligned with the deadline of this this report. This will be completed in line with the project application, at a time that is best for clients, and reported on at a later stage. The organisation is approachable and willing to work with their officer to correlate evaluation and reporting as much as possible in the future. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8663 Positive East One-to-one counselling for residents living with HIV and poor mental health Boroughwide £16,222 Monitoring indicates that the project is mostly on track, but additional support is planned. Further review on the additional information that they have provided. AMBER Short Description People living with HIV in the UK are at increased risk of anxiety and depression compared to the general public. Poor mental health can lead to non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy and reduced retention in HIV care. We will provide one-to-one counselling supporting people living with HIV in Tower Hamlets. Progress Update Presently, nine individuals from Tower Hamlets are engaged in one-on-one counselling sessions. The project has 12 certified counsellors ready to assist individuals living. Over the last quarter, five of these counsellors underwent supplementary training to enhance their support, these included: Chemsex; Law training; HIV and Workplace Discrimination offered by National AIDS. A total of 163 hours of one-toone counselling has been provided to date. Preliminary evaluations using the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 tools indicate moderate levels of anxiety and depression among PLWHIV. Initial assessments through the Core 10 reveal moderate levels of psychological distress. The organisation demonstrates a commitment to support their clients and seek additional training when needed. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 73 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8843 Sister Circle Healing Conversations Boroughwide £36,403 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Healing Conversations provides minoritised mums of pre-school children/survivors of gender-based violence with complex needs with specialist, culturally competent, trauma-informed counselling delivered in community settings, in multiple languages. The project improves mental health, connects women to wider sources of support essential to health and wellbeing, and reduces health inequalities. Progress Update During this period, the project focused on recruitment of trainee counsellors resulting in two new counsellors, who reflect the communities served, to strengthen the team. The project has had a successful start with thirteen referrals, mainly from health care professionals, received during Nov 2023 to Mar 2024. Nine assessments have been carried out resulting in four women starting on the project. Three of these have completed their baseline data and engaged in counselling. 100% of these participants report improved mental health because of Healing Conversations. All participants reported satisfation with the provision. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8747 The Shadwell Community Project Grow, Eat, Cook! Children's Café Project Shadwell £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description We will provide access to free healthy meals for children especially from low income and ethnic minority backgrounds in Tower Hamlets. We will provide weekly sessions where children grow, cook and eat meals together in a supportive, active environment and increase their health, fitness and wellbeing. Progress Update During the first quarter the organisation delivered 33 full activity sessions with 479 visits by registered children and young people at the adventure play ground. These sessions included gardening, arts and crafts, bush crafts, fire pit cooking and free play on the structures. They provided freshly 479 cooked meals for 189 different children, 14 children of which were regular visitors who had at least visited 10 times over this period. They conducted a baseline survey to gauge the levels of improvement into mental and physical well being and found that: - 75% of 180 (135) individual young people report improved health and wellbeing per annum. of 180 (135) individual young people report improved health and wellbeing per annum. - 80% of 180 (144) participants report feeling less isolated per annum Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 74 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8939 Tower Hamlets Parents Centre Women’s Health Matters Spitalfields and Banglatown £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The Women’s Health Matters Project in Tower Hamlets will improve the Physical and Mental Health of over 1050 disadvantaged Women in Tower Hamlets, by developing their knowledge, providing Fitness and Nutrition Activities and enhancing their Access to Services. Progress Update Having assumed her position on the 19th March 2024, the Health Support Worker, initially undertook extensive Outreach with local Community Groups, Local Schools and outside the School Gates and distributed leaflets to local people around the local Parks, Idea Store and other Community Centres. She also emailed and telephoned Community Groups to publicise the Services, which she was planning to deliver. However, she had to start the delivery of the activities; Drop-In Advice and Information Session, Tea/ Coffee Mornings and a Walking Group from the 22nd April 2024, when the Fasting Month was over. Having started the delivery of the activities, she has been delivering an hourly Walking Session per week for 4 weeks (attended by 10 beneficiaries), a two hourly Tea/Coffee morning Session per week for 4 weeks (attended by 8 beneficiaries) and a two hourly Drop-In Advice and Information Session on Health Issues per week for the last 4 weeks (attended by 9 beneficiaries). She will continue to deliver these activities for the duration of the weeks/sessions as proposed in the Funding Application. The attendance in the activities, being delivered, will increase gradually. Additionally, the Worker has been undertaking more Outreach and Publicity work, along with a Volunteer and wish to start the delivery of a Fitness and a Yoga & Mindfulness Sessions in early July 2024. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 75 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8667 Toynbee Hall Playful Tower Hamlets - Nurturing Bodies and Minds Spitalfields and Banglatown £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Creating edible gardens in underused areas of East London, the project connects children to nature, tackles food poverty, and improves physical and mental wellbeing. The project provides outdoor play activities, forest school and weekend gardening sessions for children and their families. Progress Update The project delivered a range of term time and holiday activities. These included weekly outdoor adventure play sessions benefitting 48 children and twenty-five parents or carers. Outdoor forest school sessions at Canon Barnett School, engaged 54 children. In addition, a weekly art club was held for 8 children of parents who attend and volunteer the Food Bank. Ninety-three percent of adult participants engaged in feedback activities that demonstrates they all believe the programme has improved the life quality of their children, with 92% reporting their children have improved mental health. 93% of parents/carers believe the programme has improved their own quality of life. Other outcomes included 78% stating have an improved relationship with their child. Parents of neurodivergent children also reported increased calmness in family dynamics on activity days, with children being more regulated in the evening. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8850 Vallance Community Sports Association SEND Health & Wellbeing Project (Young People) Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description A programme of weekly sports and physical activities and a social club for young people (8-25 years) with special educational needs and disabilities for the purpose of increasing sports participation, improving health and wellbeing (including mental health), and reducing loneliness, isolation and exclusion. Progress Update The Weekly activities: (i) Dedicated weekly Multi-sports sessions for young people (12-16 years) with disabilities (Wednesday 1pm to 3pm) at Swanley School. (ii) Inclusive* Football Session for 8–15-year-olds – (Fridays 5:30pm to 7pm) at Mile End Leisure Centre & Stadium (iiii) Inclusive* Multi-sports session for 8–16-year-olds – (Sundays 10am to 12pm) at Mile End Leisure Centre & Stadium *disabled and non-disabled young people participating together. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 76 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8962 Working Well Trust Upskill Choices Boroughwide £25,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The project engages and supports people who have been affected by emotional or mental health issues to take steps towards improving their own health wellbeing and community involvement. Clients will work with project staff to identify pathways within the community to wellbeing, training and volunteering opportunities and to develop skills essential for wellbeing and future employment. Progress Update Emphasis in this period has been engaging and action planning referrals and signposting to activities and opportunities. Outreach and partnership work has resulted in 26 clients accessing support through remote support and face to face appointments, as well as a few community initiatives. 14 of these have accessed education on self-care, healthy lifestyles peer support crises and cost of living support. 100% of these 14 report a positive engagement with project services and 57% reporting improved mental health. The first co production meeting with client groups is a priority for next quarter. Feedback forms and ongoing evaluation will also be conducted by client volunteers to evaluate the experience of clients from the period. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 77 Appendix 3.5 Theme 5 - Empower Communities and Fight Crime Scheme A - Inequalities Experienced by People and Communities Reflecting Different Equality Groups and Socio-economic Backgrounds ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8722 Account3 Ltd Dare to Lead - leadership development for Minoritized women of Tower Hamlets Boroughwide £25,000 The monitoring report shows the project is on track to achieving the expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Dare to Lead is a customised and approved BAME Women focused leadership programme, which is accredited and externally verified and validated by the national examination board OCN, London. The leadership programme is designed to support BAME women who are in or aspire to leadership roles through a development programme. Progress Update Between November 2023 and March 2024, the Dare to Lead project's mobilisation plan was completed by the organisation. The project team adhered to established timelines and finished all documentation tasks. As per the reporting requirement for this period, 19 women representing the borough's diverse community were recruited for leadership training. However, the project did not receive the full funding requested. During the mobilisation of the contract, the organisation stated that they would need to fundraise for additional funding to support the Social Action aspect of the project. This involves empowering learners to undertake and deliver social action projects after the Dare 2 Lead training. The organisation applied to EECF for funding and is currently awaiting the outcome. Furthermore, the organisation received dedicated support from a VCS officer during this period. This support included a comprehensive funding search conducted through the council's grant portal. This search yielded several promising leads for potential grant applications, allowing the organisation to pursue further funding opportunities. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 78 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8631 Council Of Mosques - Tower Hamlets CoM Community Empowerment Project Boroughwide £25,000 The project is on track with some of its targets for this period and will need further support in achieving outstanding targets. AMBER Short Description CoM’s Community Empowerment Project is new structured service designed and developed by CoM to address racism, faith-based abuse such as Islamophobia and discrimination faced by particularly by the borough’s Muslim Communities areas of health, the criminal justice system, education, employment, immigration and politics experienced by the borough’s BAME communities. Progress Update The project started delivery in January due to delays in mobilisation, once they started delivering the Community Empowerment Project they engaged 80 participants during this period. Although the project is on track in achieving most of their KPI's they will need further guidance and support during this period to enable them to successfully achieve the outstanding targets for the next quarter. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8994 East London Advanced Technology Training Tower Hamlets Voices Bethnal Green East (formerly Bethnal Green) £25,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description Tower Hamlets Voices will foster community cohesion by bringing together people from diverse backgrounds in six local West Tower Hamlets hubs. The project aims to improve inclusion, access to support, and overall equality and will support 220 participants, mostly from Black, Asian, and multi-ethnic backgrounds and other marginalised groups annually. Progress Update Between November 2023 to March 2024 the Tower Hamlets Voices project involved several initiatives, such as weekly in-person and online conversation clubs to share stories and challenges. Social events were organised, including a Winter Celebration, where students actively participated in planning and execution. Educational trips to various landmarks in London offered cultural enrichment and historical context. The project also encouraged civic engagement with a visit from a UK Parliament educator on Democracy Day. Through various activities and initiatives, participants are encouraged to actively engage with their communities, contribute their unique talents and perspectives, and forge meaningful connections with fellow residents. Despite its successes, the Voices Project faces challenges such as limited funding, language barriers, and cultural differences. Although opportunities are provided to join conversation clubs or go on class trips, students do not always take up these chances. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 79 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8908 Real DPO Ltd All Inclusive Advice Boroughwide £30,000 The monitoring report shows the project is on track to achieving the expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Tailored and evidence-based advice and support for disabled individuals in Tower Hamlets. Offering holistic assistance, including guidance on independent travel, financial independence, community engagement, and access to local services. It will cater to clients from diverse ethnic, cultural, and faith backgrounds and collaborate with other organizations for referrals. Progress Update The organisation have had a strong start to their All Inclusive Advice project, mobilisation was successful and the project engaged with a diverse number of clients from across the borough and age groups with many being supported with multiple disabilities. Other key highlights for this period include; The project successfully served 10 new clients referred during the quarter, demonstrating its reach within the community. Eight cases were successfully concluded with most clients served having multiple impairments. Highlighting the project's effectiveness in assisting those with complex needs. The project's success in reaching a diverse clientele across different age ranges and addressing their multifaceted challenges. Two new staff members were recruited in January 2024 who bring valuable experience in working with disabled individuals from their previous experience. Information officers actively participated in various training courses on income maximisation and safeguarding practices. They are also currently pursuing their NVQ Level 3 qualifications. Regular team meetings and reflective practice sessions are scheduled to discuss training experiences, share client work insights, and address challenging cases. These sessions provide a platform for knowledge sharing, acquiring new skills, and fostering a collaborative learning environment, as staff consider them highly beneficial. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 80 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9029 SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets Stay Smart Stay Safe Shadwell £25,000 The monitoring report shows the project is on track to achieving the expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description The Stay Smart, Stay Safe project focuses on empowering girls and women to make positive choices in their personal lives that allow them to prosper and lead fulfilling lives. Progress Update Despite receiving a budget lower than initially proposed, the project successfully adapted its design and budget details during the mobilisation of the contract. This resulted in one weekly session each for women and girls, supplemented by an easily accessible online presence and resources. The project mobilisation phase involved setting up delivery and communication plans, target setting, role allocation, and recruitment. Logistical arrangements, risk assessments, and outreach activities were also completed. Partner collaboration, monitoring systems, and promotional materials were established. The Stay Smart Stay Safe project exceeded its expectations for this reporting period. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 81 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9008 TOYHOUSE LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION OF TOWER HAMLETS Empowering Communities:- Coming together, sharing their cultures, food and experiences Bow West £14,983 The monitoring report shows the project is on track to achieving the expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Toyhouse will facilitate a series of short courses for people from diverse backgrounds and 3 generations across equalities strands. 5 parents & pre-schoolers, plus older people, drawn together to discover and discuss, aiming to increase understanding and appreciation of different cultures - via food; games; traditions; clothing; beliefs; and celebrations. Progress Update Despite the delays in contract mobilisation in getting the first payment out to the organisation the project still had a strong start with publicity and recruitment starting in early November. And have exceeded their target for this reporting period. During the period from November 23 to March 24 they ran 3 courses. The first course which started early November and had 7 families from 6 different ethnicity, leading to interesting and varied feedback and discussions each week. The course has a different theme each week to facilitate discussion: • Who are we? • Where do we live? • Relationships, Celebrations & Cultures • Play from childhood • Equalities, Diversity and a sharing event. These sessions provide families with an opportunity to learn about different religions, traditions and cultures. participants reported that the relaxed atmosphere and themes have helped them feel comfortable and confident to engage with other participants on their traditions and special features of their cultures and identities. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 82 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 9048 Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets BAME Trustee Training and Matching (known as The METs Programme) Boroughwide £39,989 The monitoring report shows the project is on track to achieving the expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The programme will recruit, train and support residents from BAME communities (60% women) to become charity trustees. It will address inequality by empowering BAME residents to fulfil their potential and progress into leadership roles. Trained volunteers will be matched with local charities, creating trustee boards that better reflect our community. Progress Update The BAME Trustee Training and Matching (known as The METs Programme) project was successfully launched despite receiving a lower budget than initially proposed. The team adapted the project design and budget, resulting in one weekly session each for women and girls, along with an easily accessible online presence offering resources. The project mobilised quickly, establishing delivery and communication plans, setting targets, allocating roles, and recruiting staff. Logistical details, risk assessments, and outreach activities were completed. Partnerships were established with other organisations, and monitoring systems and promotional materials were created. The project has seen high attendance, averaging 15-20 participants per session. Sessions have covered a variety of topics related to health, selfimprovement, and empowerment, with enjoyable art activities added to the mix. Participants are actively involved in shaping the program for the next phase, with guest speakers and innovative activities planned. This initial success is due in part to the strong commitment of volunteers, including 6 young women as peer educators and 10 additional volunteers supporting the women's sessions. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8961 Working Well Trust Upskill Reach Boroughwide £39,740 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description Opening up referral pathways and increasing access to opportunities for people with lived experience of mental health from Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic Communities. We will support people to overcome barriers by addressing inequalities of access to support and resources. Progress Update The project is progressing as planned and on track to achieve expected outcomes. The staff established referral channels, developed marketing materials, and implemented administrative systems for client management. Partner organisations were involved in outreach, exceeding referral targets and highlighting the project's services for BAME clients. Staff assisted BAME residents in creating personalised action plans to overcome barriers to accessing opportunities. 20 participants were supported during this period exceeding the set target, 1:1 sessions identified goals and barriers with participants. The project has been fully staffed and activities began from the middle of November. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 83 Scheme B - Community Safety ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8900 Beyond the Streets Door of Hope Boroughwide £23,399 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Funding our Door of Hope Coordinator, overseeing our project working with women selling sex in Tower Hamlets through street outreach, drop Ins and long term, trauma informed, 1:1 support that includes advocating for and enabling positive outcomes within themes of homelessness, income and food poverty, substance misuse, and physical/mental health Progress Update Beyond the Street has provided thorough notes highlighting key achievements as well as the challenges faced in the first and part-quarter of the project. Since November 2023, they have been working closely to support 28 women - who require a wide range of support. This is a slightly lower number than their usual average for the period, but they explain this is due to new members of staff joining the team as part of this project, and they required training and support to embrace their role confidently. During the three months between January and March 2024, 578 one-to-one meetings were carried out by staff in total. This included 166 with other professionals (advocacy) and 5 multi-professional meetings; the rest of the meetings were between Women Support Workers (WSWs) and the women on their caseload. Beyond the Street has demonstrated that they have actively supported women at a grassroots level with various support such as psychotherapy advice, sexual health packs as well as a warm drink during their night-time outreach sessions. They have also continued to work with other professionals and partners on a strategic level through their participation in the MARAC. They make a point to stress, that the support needed for these vulnerable women is not linear and can be wide-ranging, which they assess on a case-by-case basis. They have exceeded the target percentage for KPI 1. As this is the first monitoring return of the project, there have been some admin issues noted with recording the correct KPIs initially agreed during project mobilisation. These will be corrected in time for the next quarter with the correct information transferred onto the portal. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 84 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8821 City Gateway Ltd ReBuild - Pathways to Employment for Ex-Offenders Boroughwide £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Our programme, ReBuild, focuses on enhancing the life opportunities and employment opportunities of ex-offenders aged 16-24. We provide dedicated assistance to this group through our education and training pathways, underpinned by one-to-one coaching, supporting them into sustainable education, employment and training (EET) outcomes with partner employers. Progress Update The monitoring report hasn't highlighted any challenges, but the KPI actuals initially suggested that only 2 people have been supported since November 2023. This was followed up with the organisation and the actual figure supported was 12 which was within tolerance for the KPI. A case study was provided to capture qualitative information on the clients they have supported so far. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8678 D'awatul Islam UK & Eire Ltd "Our Park" - 'Safer Parks Campaign' Limehouse £30,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The "Safer Parks Campaign" empowers local communities to tackle issues like anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, mugging, sexual exploitation, and violence in parks. A diverse team of 20 individuals, will work together to make parks safer through community organising, community listening, social action, and negotiations with authorities. Progress Update D'awatul Islam were able to make progress in this reporting quarter, despite delays with their initial funding. They have been able to demonstrate partnership working with Queen Mary University and Citizen's UK to help plan workshops, engagement, and mind mapping. They recruited 15 community champions, who were able to showcase their passion for a cleaner, safer community park. Workshops included the engagement of 64 young participants. They hosted a community walkabout after dark around the park to identify issues that might deem the park unsafe. They have submitted a detailed case study. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 85 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8792 Look Ahead Care and Support Children's Domestic Violence Support Worker Shadwell £20,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description A specialist Children’s Domestic Violence Support Worker to support children living at the refuge who have experienced trauma due to early exposure to domestic abuse. The post will be embedded in the Tower Hamlets Domestic Abuse Service and support children while they stay in the refuge. Progress Update Look Ahead has reported back this period on the impact their Children's Domestic Violence Support worker (funded by this programme) has had on women and their children. The support varies from helping women access appropriate welfare benefits, making online applications, bookings, signposting and working with the children to help them access appropriate therapy. They have provided images of women participating in sewing classes, iftar gatherings, and cooking classes for the children where they have made things like smoothies. They have quoted women's feedback on the impact of the service, highlighting confidence building, and seeing an improvement in their situation with their children. They appear to have met their KPI's - exceeding in some areas of engaging with more than the target number of participants. Look Ahead has also been working with partners to deliver awareness-raising training on the impact of domestic abuse on children, this includes training childminders. They mention they are working particularly well with the Limehouse Project. Some women have reported having started ESOL classes for the first time, with a newfound confidence. A monitoring meeting will be arranged for this summer. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 86 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8883 Osmani Trust Schools Resilience Programme (SRP) Boroughwide £40,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve the expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The Schools Resilience Programme (SRP) aims to educate and mentor vulnerable and at-risk secondary school children on community safety and prevent them from becoming involved in crime, gangs and criminal exploitation. The project will develop their resilience, critical thinking skills and emotional intelligence so they make informed choices. Progress Update Osmani Trust have been actively working towards its KPIs and project objectives. They are at present working with Langdon Park School as their first cohort and have so far engaged with 14 young people in their programme. These young people have been attending workshops and 1-2-1 mentoring to build rapport. They expect that with time, they will be able to develop their mentoring relationship with individuals which will enable them to signpost them to appropriate activities, which include training, building self-confidence & emotional resilience, upskilling and learning new skills. The mentoring programme offers support towards developing personal development and emotional resilience. The young people will have the option to consider taking up Mental Health focused workshops and online learning. They mention they are following an 'emotional bank account model'. It will be good to explore what they mean by this at the next meeting. They report that the project has 'been received positively' and they 'have been working towards increasing the capacity' as the project grows. This will be good to pick up at the follow up monitoring meeting too. They mentioned that they intend to attend the next Tower Hamlets Schools Forum to raise the profile of the project and to network with schools across the borough. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 87 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8738 Shadwell Trust Self Defence Classes and Creative Arts Shadwell £20,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Self Defence Classes and Creative Arts for Girls, Women and BAME Young People Progress Update Shadwell Trust has reported back against all their agreed KPIs. They started delivering the physical activity/self-defence classes since November 23, every Saturday where 12x girls have been consistently attending. The girls come from Bangladeshi, Somali and Algerian communities. They also started delivering their arts and craft classes since December 23 where they have reported 14 girls have been attending regularly. They submitted video evidence of the self-defence classes. Actual numbers are slightly lower than the target numbers initially agreed. They reported 6 males and 17 females engaged in the programme. ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8696 Step Forward (Tower Hamlets) Being Heard Boroughwide £40,000 Monitoring indicates the project will achieve expected outcomes. GREEN Short Description Our Being Heard project offers a programme of preventative, early intervention activities to help keep vulnerable young people aged 11-25 safe, free from harm and prevent them being exploited. It also provides specialist support to young people affected by sexual violence to help them feel safe, cope and recover. Progress Update Step Forward indicated they have been successful in making progress with the Being Heard project despite working with what’s considered a harder-to-reach group of young people. During this reporting period, they were able to engage 19 young people who have registered for their service and receiving ongoing support. Their target for the year was around 75-85 participants so this is steady progress. Their activities for this reporting period included outreach sessions at Mulberry Girls School, where they held a stall and promoted the services provided by Step Forward. They were able to reach out to approximately 500+ young girls during this event. They held a similar event at the University of East London and reached out to 100+ students. The services they delivered through this project included 1-2-1 counselling and personal development support for young people, as well as specialist early intervention support for a young person experiencing hate crime. They have also provided support in a safe space for young people from the LGBTQ+ community as part of their regular programme of activities. As the project progresses, they have started to plan more outreach through the Family Hubs in Tower Hamlets as well as improving their monitoring processes. Mayor’s Community Grants Programme (MCGP) - Nov 23 – Mar 24 Project Summary Appendix 3 88 ID Organisation Project Geographical Area Served Annual Grant Amount Officers Notes RAG rating 8914 Women’s Inclusive Team Haawa Project (Community Safety) Boroughwide £30,000 Monitoring demonstrates the project will achieve expected outcomes GREEN Short Description The Hawaa Project is a tailored advice and guidance service for BAME women affected by domestic abuse. WIT provides a safe and confidential environment, where cultural and linguistic needs of minority women are catered for. Hawaa is set to help tackle a culturally sensitive issue that is often overlooked. Progress Update WIT have made headway despite initial issues with payment delays with their project. They have developed a skeleton model of their Domestic Violence Programme and have had good engagement from the community. They have delivered bilingual online campaigns for women for wider engagement and participation from the Somali community. This funding has also allowed them to recruit a dedicated DV Project Officer. 85 stakeholders were inducted on the Haawa Project so they can assist with the wider engagement and signposting to the project. They have demonstrated tact by carefully naming workshops to not explicitly state domestic violence in case it prevents participation from the very vulnerable women in their network; this shows they know their client group very well. They have had excellent engagement and referrals, including two MARAC referrals. The CEO of WIT has also recently been appointed as a commissioner for the council's new Women's Commission. WIT have proactively demonstrated their ability to offer frontline service, work in partnership, as well as placing themselves strategically on women's issues. In this reporting period, they also carried out 10 risk assessments on women. They are working closely with the council's VAWG team to get women on the VAWG training. These training opportunities will be hybrid and will be taking place in June. The number of women enrolled onto these training will be available at the next quarter's report.