Eight Lewisham community organisations will be given over £155,000 of funding from Lewisham Council to cope with changes and restrictions caused by the pandemic.

The organisations that will benefit from the funds are Millwall Community Trust, London Sport, London Thunder Basketball, The Front Room Club, Platform Cricket, Wheels for Wellbeing, The Grove Centre and Lewisham Refugee Welcome.

The funding, which will continue until March 31 2022, is an extension of the main grants programme, a local funding scheme.

The council said on their news page: “Under the Main Grants programme, the Council funds organisations which have been doing exceptional work within the community to empower residents.”

Support Lewisham residents

The council decided to continue the funding, to show their appreciation towards the organisations, which have been supporting the local community. The council said: “The funding . . . is in recognition of the work the organisations have done to support Lewisham residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The extension of funds will also aid those who have undergone changes in response to Covid-19. The council said the additional funding would support groups that had to adapt their services due to the impact of the pandemic and national restrictions.

Lewisham Council also affirms that the increase in financial aid will strengthen the organisations’ capacity to continue working for the community.

The council said in a meeting report: “This extension [of funding] will also ensure that all organisations are enabled to continue delivery of essential community activities and work towards sustainability in light of previous disruptions resulting from the Covid-19 crisis. . .”

Councillor Jonathan Slater, Cabinet Member for the community sector believes that the extended funding will help to create a better future for selected organisations.

Slater said in a news release: “I’m pleased that the Main Grants have been extended for another year and that the organisations can now work towards fulfilling the plans they originally put forward in their proposals [when applying for the Main Grants Programme] but were disrupted as a result of the pandemic.”