Chance to win £25,000 of community funding

Chris McElligott Together Mutual meets residents

A new campaign – Better Together - lis being launched in the North West, offering communities up to £25,000 worth of funding toward a local project that will improve, not only the area, but the lives of those within it.

Recent reports show as many as half the population are unable to recall their neighbours’ first name, suggesting a significant decline in community spirit and interaction, which can have negative implications including lack of trust and higher crime rates.

Introduced by home insurance specialist, Together Mutual, the Better Together initiative is open to charities, community groups, local action groups and neighbourhoods across Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Its aim is to support any existing projects, or kick-start new ones, that enhance the community and bring people together for a better quality of life all-round.

Whether it be landscaping a derelict open area to create a children’s playground or providing equipment to start a communal vegetable garden – Better Together is open to all possibilities. Depending on the entries received, the funding could also be shared across more than one project.

The winning project(s) will receive both cash funding and labour to complete the required works, which will be carried out by Groundwork MSSTT – an environmental regeneration charity, which works in partnership with local people to deliver a range of projects. It has completed over 250 initiatives, from converting derelict alleyways into bright open communal spaces for residents to creating children’s play areas.

According to Groundwork, people who live in places that are greener, cleaner and safer are often healthier and happier, and areas that look better and where more people know their neighbours have lower crime rates and higher levels of investment.

The Better Together campaign is exclusive to the North West and is the first to take place in the UK. The winning project(s) will be selected by the public via an online poll, allowing communities to get involved and show support for their local initiative.

Chris McElligott, head of marketing at Together Mutual Insurance, explains: “Better Together aims to bring communities together and, in turn, improve lives. As a mutual company, it is our philosophy to put people before profits and we have a long-standing heritage in charity projects such as this.

“Across the UK we are seeing a worrying decline in community spirit with as much as half the country unaware of their own neighbours’ names. However, recent events highlight that, as a nation, we can achieve great things together – just look at the London 2012 Olympics and Diamond Jubilee.

“The Better Together campaign is designed to provide support for a broad range of initiatives and organisations – big and small. We are looking for projects and ideas that will make a real difference to people and encourage a greater sense of community in the area; even the smallest changes can have a really positive effect.”

The campaign is open to entries from Thursday 20 February to Friday 21 March. A shortlist will then be announced and opened to a public vote. Entrants will need to submit a 200-word description of the project and how it will contribute to the local community, along with 2-3 high resolution supporting images.

For further details, and to enter, visit togethermutualinsurance.co.uk