Get Living invests £80k in local businesses through Inspiring Community Fund

• Since working with Actionfunder in 2022, Get Living’s Inspiring Community funds across its neighbourhoods have invested a total of £160,000 in 33 organisations, supporting over 7,000 people
• In 2024, £80,000 was granted to organisations local to Stratford, Salford, Maidenhead and Lewisham, working with ActionFunder
• Nine non-profit organisations were selected this year, supporting communities to develop new employment and creative skills and improve mental and physical wellbeing through greater access to nature

Get Living, one of the UK’s leading build-to-rent operators of large-scale residential neighbourhoods, has announced that £80,000 has been granted in 2024 to community groups across London, Manchester and Maidenhead.

Working with ActionFunder for the third year, a digital platform that brings responsible businesses together with non-profits to make change happen, Get Living’s Inspiring Community Funds are this year supporting nine local non-profit organisations and groups situated nearby to its operating developments. This includes One Maidenhead in Berkshire, New Maker Yards in Salford, East Village in Stratford and The Filigree in Lewisham.

Over 2024, £20,000 was invested into each neighbourhood fund, taking the total amount of investment made through the Inspiring Community Funds to £160,000, supporting 33 organisations and over 7,000 people since 2022. Before the launch of the Inspiring Community funds, it is estimated that Get Living provided £500,000 of support to local organisations and charitable causes in its communities, from its inception in 2013.

The aim of the Inspiring Community funds is to help enact positive change in local communities and, as such, applications to the funds were carefully assessed against several judging criteria, with successful applications selected based on key themes; promoting nature and sustainable behaviours, connecting people to skills, enterprise and employment, supporting the physical and mental health of residents and local communities, and celebrating arts and culture.

This year, supported organisations include:

• Friends of Maidenhead Waterway, a charity committed to improving access to the waterway for all to support physical, mental and community building benefits. Its work includes arranging free boat trips for local charities that support those in need, guided walking tours by the waterway and biodiversity improvements.
• Mads do & Mend CIC, which empowers communities to mend their clothes themselves through craft and creativity, following reports suggesting that c.300,000 tonnes of textile waste ends up in household black bins every year. In Lewisham, the organisation will be creating a sustainable fashion and mending hub for teens aged 11 to 18 years old to explore ways to mend and re-fashion their clothes.
• Chobham Friends, the parent-teacher association for Chobham Academy primary at East Village, whose objective this year is to focus on helping children be more active, and improve their nutrition and mental health. As part of this, funding has supported the opening of an outdoor classroom, accessible to 2,100 pupils.
• Foundation 92, which works in partnership with young people (14-18) and families who reside in Pendleton, Greater Manchester. Despite being within touching distance of Manchester city centre and the employment opportunities this area brings, many individuals who access Foundation 92’s services state they do not have the confidence and skillset to attempt to access them. As such, Foundation 92 is establishing a Pendleton Skills and Environmental Wellbeing Zone, with mentors delivering a free to access, drop in service with a range of interactive and engaging developmental workshops covering mental and physical health, aspiration and self-worth.

Rick de Blaby, Chief Executive of Get Living, comments: “A core part of establishing any successful neighbourhood is working with and supporting existing community groups and organisations. Their work is crucial to the overall success and wellbeing of an area, supporting individuals to develop and learn new skills, improving their mental and physical health and providing greater access to cultural and environment-led activities.

“As a long-term investor in our neighbourhoods across the UK, we are committed to supporting our residents and wider communities enacting positive and lasting change, which is why we continue to provide support through our Inspiring Communities funds. A number of these initiatives are already underway and we look forward to following their progress.”

Since Get Living’s inception in 2013, it has given more than £660,000 to UK charitable and community causes across wellbeing, arts and sport. In the past it has also provided support through the standalone Inspiring Elephant Community Fund together with partners, committed to distributing annual grants of £50,000 to charities that serve the Elephant and Castle Town Centre and its surrounding area over a five year period.

This year, it awarded 12 successful applicants with grants of between £2,700 – £4,950, funding a wide range of local community initiatives and causes that will help fight inequality and benefit disability groups, senior citizens, and members of the BAME community.

Mark Shearer, CEO, Actionfunder, comments, “It’s in the name! Not only do Get Living create great homes for their customers, but they also help local communities “get living” by funding social impact projects near to their schemes.

“We really enjoy our collaboration and we’re delighted to see the residents and Neighbourhood Managers deciding on which projects are being supported. This puts the residents right at the centre of the process, creating maximum participation and radical transparency.

“Stay tuned for more grants, more impact and more resident engagement across Get Living’s properties.”

-ends-

Further information for Get Living contact: [email protected]

About Get Living

Get Living is one of the UK’s leading build-to-rent investors, developers and operators. We provide quality rental homes in neighbourhoods that nurture togetherness, belonging and opportunity in a way that generates financial, environmental and social value for residents and shareholders alike.

Get Living’s portfolio has grown to almost 5,000 homes for rent across five neighbourhoods: East Village, Elephant Central and The Filigree in London, One Maidenhead in Berkshire and New Maker Yards in Salford, Greater Manchester.

Future neighbourhoods are planned or under construction across the UK, including London, Birmingham and Leatherhead, delivering a further 2,600 homes.

www.getliving.com

About Actionfunder

ActionFunder is the award-winning B-Corp transforming corporate giving and community investment. Our platform matches businesses with non-profits to drive social value and track the impact and while reducing admin time and saving costs.