Luton’s Ameina Centre receives £10,000 grant to strengthen support for local people

Luton community organisation Ameina Centre has received a £10,000 grant and expert support through Community Catalyst, a programme helping grassroots voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations strengthen their work and grow their impact locally.

The Ameina Centre has been supporting people in Luton since 2012, helping residents lead healthier, happier and more connected lives. Its activities include health and wellbeing sessions for older people, youth programmes, holiday activities, a girls’ football club and a weekly food pantry.

The organisation in Ambleside now plans to build on its existing work and expand the support it provides across Luton.

Planning for the future

The Ameina Centre joined the programme after being referred by Peabody, the not-for-profit housing association, which is among the groups supporting Community Catalyst.

The programme is funded and delivered by a partnership of housing organisations, led by Clarion Futures, alongside Peabody, the Fusion21 Foundation, Places for People, and MTVH. It’s backed by a combined £3million of investment and will support 270 organisations across England over three years.

For founder and director, Rose Davis, the programme has given her the chance to reflect, plan and build for the future of the Ameina Centre.

Through the programme, the organisation received expert support from a consultant, who helped them refine their business plan. Rose said the programme “gave us room to think out loud, hear what was being said and proceed with the changes we needed to make in order to get to where we want to be”.

The recent £10,000 capacity building grant will help with costs including paying for administration and HR support and staff training, which will give Rose more time to focus on developing services that directly benefit local people.

Karen Lawson, community investment lead at Peabody, who referred the centre to the programme, said: “Ameina Centre has been doing fantastic work in Luton for many years and really understands its community. Rose and the team have built something really valuable over the years, which we have been lucky to work alongside. It’s great that this funding and support will help them strengthen their work and reach even more local people. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next.”

Tina Kessie, operational lead for the Community Catalyst programme at Peabody, added: “Grassroots organisations play a vital role in their communities, bringing people together and providing support that makes a real difference locally. Community Catalyst helps them build on that work, strengthen their organisations and plan for the future so they can keep supporting people over the long term.”

Supporting grassroots organisations

Community Catalyst supports charities and community organisations working in social housing communities with free, one-to-one expert advice tailored to their needs.

Organisations can then apply for capacity building grants of up to £10,000 to help them grow stronger, become more sustainable and continue delivering valued services for local people over the long term.

Around £450k has been awarded in the first round to VCSE organisations across England.

Of the organisations that received grant funding for this round, eight were referred by Peabody, with almost £80,000 being invested in VCSE organisations that work closely with Peabody, delivering vital services across London and the South East.

The next round is now underway, with even more grassroots organisations set to receive expert support and funding.

To find out more, visit the Community Catalyst webpage.