A host of Northumberland Park community projects have landed funding after winning votes from local residents.
The Northumberland Park Community Voting Day saw 27 groups present their ideas to a packed audience in a “Dragons’ Den” style event at Duke’s Aldridge Academy.
Each group had just three minutes to convince residents that their scheme was worthy of backing, with each presentation rated 1-10 by the audience.
Nine projects each earned a share of a £40,000 kitty, given to Haringey Council from the government’s Estate Regeneration Fund.
Amongst the successful bidders was the Lorenco Kitchen Garden Project, which will use its £5,000 grant to create a sensory garden for the supported housing scheme.
Bidder Alice Williams said:
“I found it a very moving event and touching event. To see the community coming together like this was fantastic.
“The award means everything to us and will allow us to give opportunities to our vulnerable people and also allow the community to be more involved with us. One of the gentlemen who presented with me is sight-impaired and he has been practicing and practicing what he was going to say because he couldn’t read any notes and standing up there meant a lot to him.”
Northumberland Park Boys’ Club received £5,000 to run a summer club for youngsters. Presenter Tim Carrigan said he was “over the moon”, adding:
“It will now mean they have something to do, to skill them up, over the summer rather than leaving them vulnerable to get caught up in conflicts or gangs.”
Generous winners even opted to donate a proportion of their grants to ensure that the weekly Language Fun Club received the full funding it had bid for.
11-year-old presenter Ahleeyah said:
“It was so nice that other groups gave back to us. It means that the club can keep going, which is great because I love going there every Saturday.”
And there was some good news for unsuccessful bids as well, with organisations having the chance to network and Haringey Sixth Form College students even earning their first job offer after impressing with a short performance as part of their bid.
Event organiser Gayle Wallace said:
“The projects chosen for funding are a true reflection of what the people of the area think are important to them.”
Cllr Charles Adje, Haringey Council Cabinet Member for Strategic Regeneration, said:
“For so many local groups to step up and showcase their ideas for improving Northumberland Park really underlines the great sense of pride and community spirit in the area. I look forward to seeing these innovative community schemes take shape.”
The winning projects are:
Northumberland Park Boys’ Club
Venture Our
Sisterhood Project
People’s World Summer & Holiday Family Club
Cook and Eat for Wellbeing
Men with a Voice
Lorenco Kitchen Garden Project
Women With a Voice
Language Fun Club
A second Community Voting Day will take place at Broadwater Farm on June 30. To register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-voting-day-broadwater-farm-tickets-43123357122
