Wandsworth Council has allocated £193,710 to 14 community organisations to help them cope with the rising cost of living. The grants, approved by the Grants Sub-Committee on 6 November 2025, are intended to support community spaces and food projects, as well as organisations facing increased demand due to inflationary pressures.

The funding comes from the council's Community Spaces and Inflationary Pressures Grant Fund 2025/26, which was established to support the council's ongoing response to the cost of living crisis. According to the CSIP Grant Fund Paper No.25-345, a total of £250,000 was available for distribution, including £50,000 for capacity building support. The meeting information indicates that this £50,000 is intended for capacity building support, but does not specify how it will be distributed.

Council officers assessed 21 applications against a range of criteria, including the suitability of the applicant, strategic fit with the grant fund's objectives, the potential impact and deliverability of the proposed activity, value for money, geographic spread of services, and avoidance of duplicating existing services. Ultimately, grants were recommended for 14 organisations because, as noted in the assessment, the projects clearly support people directly affected by the cost of living.

For the seven unsuccessful applicants, such as CARAS and Estate Art CIC, officers will offer support in finding suitable venues or identifying other funding opportunities, according to the meeting transcript and recommendation forms.

At the meeting, Councillor Worrell, Deputy Chair of the Grants Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee, noted that Councillor Annan was unable to attend and that he would chair the meeting. Councillor Hitches raised a point of clarification regarding the Public reports pack, suggesting that the column heading grants sub-OSC recommendation should be changed to officer recommendation for clarity.

Harriet Steele, Voluntary Sector Partnership Manager, introduced the report, explaining that the fund aims to support organisations with community spaces and food projects, as well as those struggling with inflationary pressures. She highlighted the focus on longer-term sustainability.

Some of the organisations set to receive funding include:

  • Age UK Wandsworth: £7,160 to host free weekly group sessions for residents aged over 60.
  • Carney's Community: £15,000 to provide free hot meals to young people and adults.
  • Community Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services (CDARS): £11,398 to deliver a weekly community dinner.
  • Crosslight Advice: £15,000 to meet rising demand for their debt advice and money skills programmes.
  • Earlsfield Foodbank: £15,000 towards core staff costs.
  • Home-Start Wandsworth: £15,000 for their Connect@Home project, a weekly lunch club.
  • Katherine Low Settlement: £14,886 for a project to support Wandsworth residents aged 50 and over.
  • Living Truth CIC: £14,852 to expand their weekly After-School Food and Social Club.
  • Power 2 Connect: £14,985 to continue their weekly digital drop-in sessions at six libraries.
  • Rackets Cubed: £15,000 to deliver their social supermarket, community cuppa mornings, and solidarity suppers.
  • St John the Divine Earlsfield: £11,302 to establish a weekly drop-in café.
  • Tooting Community Kitchen: £15,000 to continue running their Monday and Wednesday Lunch Club services.
  • Vineyard 61 Church: £14,127 to continue delivery at their Balham Hub, a weekly community space.
  • Junction Community Trust (Wandsworth Foodbank): £15,000 to support their guest engagement team and home deliveries.

Councillor Worrell thanked the officers for their work in preparing the reports and acknowledged the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes.