We’ve awarded a grant of £978 to Rose Hill Junior Youth Club (RHJYC) in Oxford.
RHJYC is a registered charity and has supported some of Rose Hill and Littlemore’s most disadvantaged families for the past 14 years.
The club runs free after school sessions for 120 children, offering healthy meals, cooking classes, trips, creative projects, community events and 1:1 mentoring.
Our grant will go towards equipment for the club’s Nature Nurture Nourishment project. The project began with setting up a community allotment during the pandemic, to provide a safe, outdoor activity for children and their families.
The allotment was a success and has now evolved into a natural wellbeing project to support the long term physical and mental health of residents. RHJYC has been able to employ a dedicated Wellbeing in Nature Co-ordinator to expand access to the allotment and increase outdoor activities for disadvantaged groups within the community.
Due to the cost-of-living crisis, the charity has seen a 38% increase in families asking for help with food and fuel poverty, plus worsening mental and physical health.
RHJYC was established in 2011 by Fran Gardner, who at the time was a GSA employee.
Fran, who is now the Fundraising Manager at RHJYC, said:
“We will be targeting our initiatives to the local community in Rose Hill, including GSA’s tenants and residents in Alice and Margaret House, Lucas and Remy Place, Meadowbrook and Alison Clay House.
“Spending time in nature reduces stress, enhances memory and strengthens the immune system. The social aspect also encourages community connections and reduces loneliness. So far, 76% of young people involved in the project reported improved mood and better coping strategies as a result.”
The donation follows an application through our Community Impact Fund (CIF), an initiative to support our customers, community groups and local charities. Grants of up to £2,000 are available to benefit the neighbourhoods we operate in.
The fund is made possible thanks to donations made by some of our suppliers, as part of their social value delivery commitments.
One of these suppliers is SMS Environmental Ltd, who deliver our Legionella Risk Assessments, Periodic Inspections and Remedial Works, as well as free training sessions to GSA staff.
In March, we received a £8,597 social value rebate from SMS and on Sunday 22 June, a team of their staff spent the day volunteering at Rose Hill Community Centre. The volunteers focused on the community allotment – building beds, planting seeds, weeding and tidying.
David Clift, HR Manager at SMS Environmental, said:
"We’re proud to support RHJYC through our social value contributions and volunteering efforts. Their Nature Nurture Nourishment project is making a real difference in the community, promoting wellbeing and resilience among young people and families. We’re thrilled to see our partnership with GSA create such a positive impact!”
Natalie Peters, Compliance Manager at GSA, said:
“SMS Environmental Ltd are a valued, long-standing partner of GSA. Whilst providing an excellent service contractually, they have and continue to be committed to our social value programme. This benefits customers in our community in a variety of ways and should be celebrated and recognised.”
Find out more about our Community Impact Fund here.