23 November 2022. Work Better Innovations won a Community Inclusion Grant from Portsmouth City Council for a series of healthy eating and education events for migrants over this winter. We are matching this grant from our consultancy proceeds, so there is double going to community service.
We were invited to a special reception, honouring all the grant recipients, at the Lord Mayor’s Banqueting Room in Portsmouth’s’ Guildhall.
The fund welcomed applications from the charitable and voluntary sector as well as social enterprises, whose focus lies on celebrating diversity and improving opportunities available to disadvantaged groups. Each project strives in its own special way to address a wide scope of social issues in the local area.
It was a real honour for Work Better Innovations to be recognised at the event, amongst the social enterprises locally active to make a social impact in Portsmouth, as change-makers and community-leaders.
[Photo caption: Here, our Advisor Shipa Ahmed Khan and Assistant Isabela Palancean with Councillor Chris Attwell at the Award Ceremony in Portsmouth’s Guidehall.]
In his winner-announcing speech, Councillor Chris Attwell, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Central Services, praised the “astonishing variety of projects in our city, all doing wonderful work to encourage and support inclusion.” He shared feeling “humbled at the good will and community spirit” demonstrated.
Councillor Atwell also emphasised the importance of supporting community-oriented initiatives in a city, which has historically thrived upon the principles of openness and diversity since its days as a major naval port.
The funding comes at a critical time in the lives of many of the most vulnerable members in our society, when the cost of living has tilted many into a real crisis of survival. With the funding granted by Portsmouth City Council, Work Better Innovations will host the Project “Food with Friends”, with two deliverable objectives.
We will provide a warm meal in a socially engaged atmosphere for members from the migrant community who may not be accessing food banks. Over food, we will run health workshops facilitated by NHS experts and speakers around issues on healthy eating and other educational talks on diabetes, hypertension, illnesses and vaccinations.
We aim to reduce health inequalities that disproportionately affect migrant communities in the UK, and we will work with local catering, migrant-owned businesses to find creative ways to give back to the community.
We are grateful to have “Food with Friends” supported with a grant from the Portsmouth City Council and look forward to sharing stories and lessons learnt from these events soon!
