Brent Cross Town has announced seven shortlisted projects for its annual  Community Fund which will this year be selected by public vote.

The Fund, which is being delivered in partnership between Barnet Council and Related Argent, celebrates its sixth year of supporting the community and this year called for applications from local charities and organisations to provide and connect local people with employment, education, training and skills opportunities.

Over 50 applications were received and reviewed by a panel of judges who have selected seven brilliant projects. These will now go to a public vote to win a share of £50,000 with grants of between £3,000 to £10,000 available.

Barnet Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Arts & Sports, and Cricklewood Ward Member, Councillor Anne Clarke, said: “I was delighted to join the judging panel for this year’s Brent Cross Town community fund. We received over 50 applications and thank everyone who shared a proposal. It was challenging task, but we’ve shortlisted seven brilliant projects that focus on delivering skills, employment and training. Now it’s over to the public vote and we encourage you to have your say on the projects you think should be funded.”

The seven shortlisted projects which you can vote for are:

• Barnet Mencap: This group helps people with learning disabilities into employment, and those who need further education. They also offer help with writing CVs and preparing for interviews. Funding would allow them to employ a facilitator for a year and purchase two more laptops, educational materials and refreshments.
• Pro Touch: An organisation that offers unemployed over-16s the opportunity to complete youth work and sports qualifications, volunteering as well as CV-writing skills enabling them to find work. Funding would allow training and 1:1 mentoring to 12 young people. Those young people would support or coach 60 young people in a sports project.
• Centre of Excellence: This centre offers ESOL (English as a second language) and employability programs to the Somali and BAME community in Barnet, helping them to find access services, find employment, and integrate into the wider community. Funding would provide employability and training programmes to 200 people.
• The Art Café by We Restart: The Art Café addresses the urgent need for skills development and employment readiness for asylum seekers residing in the Brent Cross area.  The group offers weekly workshops focused on art, English language proficiency and British culture, helping participants gain practical skills, build confidence, and enhance their employability. Funding would offer 22 weeks of The Art Café to 30 adults in and around Brent Cross.
• Art Against Knives: The Lab Records is a weekly pop-up recording studio which provides young people with the space to write, record and produce their own music and socialise in a safe and creative environment. The staff are also specialists in youth violence who provide mentoring and personal development support. Funding would allow The Lab Records to offer 30 young people skills training and pathways into education, training and employment.
• Mentoring Academy: The Fit for Life scheme addresses youth unemployment in Barnet and the increasing involvement of young people in criminal activities, particularly knife crime. The programme offers fitness instructor training and certification, career support, and mentorship to secure employment. Funding would offer training, certification and mentorship to 20 young people in Barnet.
• Motivez: A community and youth-led organisation that aims to address both pollution levels in Barnet and socio-economic barriers to STEM careers. Funding would allow Motivez to run a three-month project that will build relationships between STEM professionals and 300 ambitious young people who are disproportionately affected by climate change in deprived London areas.

You can vote for up to three projects which you think should be awarded a grant. Vote before 2 December here.

The Brent Cross Town Community Fund started in 2019 and has since supported 52 small charities, community organisations and individuals working to make a positive impact in the local area and has awarded £180,000 to local projects. Now with a successful history of local funding, it is estimated that over 15,000 people in the local community have directly benefited from the fund’s investment. See examples of previous projects that have benefited from Community Fund here.

More details on the Brent Cross Town Community Fund can be found here.