We’re proud to be supporting Rudloe Community Association with a £2,000 grant from our Community Impact Fund to help their Community Centre services.
Rudloe Community Centre hosts a range of free and low‑cost activities designed to support local people of all ages. It’s a welcoming, inclusive space where residents can meet, access advice and build friendships.
The Centre has become a vital community hub, operating a food bank and community café that are free to use. It also provides toddler and youth groups, support for neurodivergent people, money advice services, and health and wellbeing activities such as dance and fitness classes.
Our £2,000 grant will be used to expand their food bank and café. It will contribute towards the purchase of a display chiller and ongoing purchases of fresh food for distribution to families experiencing financial hardship.
Robert Perks, Trustee at Rudloe Community Association, said:
“The Community Centre exists to support all local people and especially to help anyone who may be struggling, and our food bank and café are central to that mission. This funding will allow us to extend what we can offer, particularly for families under financial pressure.
“Our long-term vision is to take the centre into community ownership from Wiltshire Council, to allow us to better support the needs of local people. We’re extremely grateful to GSA for helping us make our services more inclusive and responsive to local needs.”
The Community Centre is based in the heart of our Rudloe estate and directly benefits many GSA customers, who access its food support and advice services, volunteer, or use it as a safe place to socialise.
Simon Henstock, our Locality Manager, said: “The transformation that has taken place here over the last 12 months has been amazing, and the members of Rudloe Community Association have been so welcoming.
“Their support has allowed GSA to hold monthly drop-in sessions, providing our customers with face-to-face access to their Housing Officers without the need to make an appointment or request a visit. These sessions offer an invaluable space to our customers who may struggle with accessing the internet or speaking over the phone, or those who just want to speak to a person directly to raise any issues with their home, neighbourhood or tenancy.”
The funding comes from our Community Impact Fund, which awards grants of up to £2,000 to local charities and voluntary organisations that are making a positive difference in our communities. The fund is made possible thanks to generous social value contributions from some of our suppliers.