Shared Space is changing Southend one grant at a time!
Southend’s charity shops, Shared Space, have just made their 60th community grant in a bid to revitalise the town and invest in its future. The Boost Fund Grants are an essential part of Shared Spaces’ pledge to reinvest in the local area and provide cash-strapped community groups and creative individuals with the opportunity to make their ideas a reality
Shared Space established the initiative four years ago and ensures that the shop volunteers, who work hard to raise the money, have a direct say in who receives it.
The lucky receivers of the milestone grant were volunteers transforming Southchurch Hall Gardens.
The £100 allowed them to buy necessary materials in their bid to prevent the Grade 1 listed site from falling into disrepair, ensuring that Southend residents live in a community that is clean and family friendly. In a letter of thanks to the charity shop, Shelly Honeyball of Southchurch Park Inspiration Parkers spoke of how the donation would help “bring the park back to local families and visitors”. Among the 50 other recipients are a £100 donation to Little Heroes local support group for children with autism, allowing them to throw a summer party for the kids.
Shared Space Trustee, Peter Dominey said, “We are not your usual charity shops, this is about an army of 85 local volunteers, coming together to give their time to raise money for local causes and local people”.
Meanwhile, long-term volunteer Chris Tourle said, “All of us volunteers are working hard to raise money to make Southend better. It is the idea of making local people smile that urged me to give my time”.
Founded in 2010, Shared Space is growing fast and now operates three local charity shops in Southchurch, Westcliff and a large online Ebay operation. They are changing the community for the better by offering life-changing training for volunteers trying to get back into the workplace and funding town-transforming causes with their Boost Fund Grants. Can you donate goods so we can do even more?
This is a story of a charity made up of local people, making a local difference supported by donations from yet more local people!
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