Phoenix’s annual Community Chest voting. Pic: Phoenix Housing Association.

Five community projects in Lewisham have been awarded nearly £100,000 between them.

The projects will receive grants up to £20,000 each that will fund holiday clubs for children struggling with learning difficulties and activities for young carers as well as elderly people.

The vote was held by Phoenix Community Housing, a resident-led housing association.

Winners Family Action, The Young Carers Holiday Club, Healthy Living Therapies for Over 55s, Youth First Summer Fun and Brent Knoll and Watergate Co-operative Trust were decided through voting by tenants.

Jim Ripley, Phoenix Chief Executive, said: “Between these projects, they will provide fun, safe, joy-filled spaces for young people over the school summer holidays. They’ll help carers, old and young, to take a much-deserved break and enjoy themselves, and they’ll create many happy memories.”

As London’s first Community Gateway housing association, Phoenix offers shareholding memberships to its residents. Its funding programme Community Chest was established in 2013 and initiated as tenants were asking for more opportunities in the community.

Ivona Huszcza, Young Carers Programme Manager at Carers Lewisham, said: “We are incredibly grateful to all the tenants who voted for our holiday club. These funds are critical to ensuring that our young carers get a much-deserved respite from their responsibilities at home during the term breaks. The Holiday Club allows them to have fun and meet other young carers during our activities, giving them time to just focus on their own needs.”

For more information, please visit Phoenix’s website.