Luton Borough Council

15/01/2025 - Have your say - Luton residents to decide which charities best support their local area

Residents of Luton are being invited to help decide where £160K of funding will be distributed to best support their communities and local neighbourhoods.

Each year local groups running grassroot projects or services in Luton are able to apply for grants from the Luton Citizens’ Fund. The grant scheme is funded by Luton Council and Luton Rising (the Council’s airport company) and managed by the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation.

Shortlisted organisations seeking grants from the Luton Citizen’s Fund this year include projects providing mental health provision to disadvantaged communities, supporting young people to be healthier through sport, and delivering a series of events aiming to prevent knife crime.

This Saturday (18 January) meetings will be held throughout Luton, where local residents will be able to hear representatives speak about projects in their area and then vote for the ones they believe will most improve their neighbourhood. In total, 37 projects have been assessed and applicants have been invited to present details of each one at the decision day events.

A recent recipient of the Luton Citizens’ Fund is Lullington Neighbours, a project aiming to address social isolation amongst elderly residents around Lullington Close in Wigmore. The group used the grants they were awarded to organise a weekly social meet-up and create a regular newsletter to keep residents up-to date with events in the area and better connected.

Phyl Rainey, Co-Organiser of Lullington Neighbours said:

“We applied for £1,000 in the last round and used that money to buy a couple of gazebos, which have been brilliant in the sun and the rain. There are a lot of elderly people here who don’t want to go digital, so they really enjoy the newsletter.

“I think the Citizens Fund is fantastic. I’m a great believer in putting some power in the citizens’ hands, and this is a big part of that.”

Councillor Hazel Simmons MBE, Leader of the council, said:

“Luton’s greatest asset is the people within it who dedicate their spare time, or in some cases their lives, to making it a better place to live. Luton Citizen’s Fund is able to provide grants and support to those people and organisations that are making a real difference to their communities.

“From equipping our young people with the skills and confidence they need to succeed to supporting a weekly social meet-up for elderly residents to combat loneliness, grants from the Luton Citizen’s Fund have made a real impact to people across Luton. I hope as many people as possible take this opportunity to shape how this important funding is invested and help bring about positive change in their community.

“As ever, we are grateful to Luton Rising for the provision of the grants which will empower residents and bring about positive change.”

Residents are being encouraged to attend the decision day event related to their residential ward area, all of which are taking place from 9.30am to 12.30am on Saturday 18 January:

• Central (Dallow, Beech Hill, Saints and Biscot) – Bury Park Community Centre 161, 161b Dunstable Rd, Luton LU1 1BW

• North (Bramingham, Northwell, Sundon Park and Barnfield) – Marsh Farm Library entrance/foyer, Lea Manor School, Northwell Drive, LU3 3TL

• West (Lewsey, Poets, Leagrave and Challney) – Chaul End Community Centre, 515 Dunstable Road, Luton, LU4 8QN

• East (Round Green, Vauxhall, Wigmore and Stopsley) – Stopsley Baptist Church, St Thomas Church, Luton, LU2 7XP

• South (Farley, Hightown, South and Central) – Hat Factory 65- 67 Bute St, Luton, LU1 2EY

Participants must bring a document proving they are part of a household in the appropriate ward, such as a family name on a utilities bill.

Voting is open to all residents over the age of 14 and in order to cast a vote, residents must attend the full session and hear all project presentations.