London Tigers, a community sports organisation based at Spikes Bridge Park Sports Complex in Southall, is to receive £60,000 after City Hall and the National Lottery Community Fund unveiled a £1.8m package for 30 venues aimed at tackling loneliness and social division.
The project, announced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the National Lottery Community Fund, will create a new network of community spaces offering activities and advice, from mentoring and weekly drop-ins to community meals and digital inclusion support. Organisers said the aim was to help Londoners connect in person at a time when many were facing “fear, hatred and division online and on our streets”.
Sadiq Khan said: “Community centres were always at the heart of many London neighbourhoods and I want to restore them as a powerful force for good across London.”
Bassam Mahfouz, the London Assembly member for Ealing and Hillingdon, added: “London Tigers have long established themselves as an organisation that works with the community to break down barriers through sports. They recognise that, as with any team sport, everybody brings something different and those differences should be celebrated and harnessed.
“I am delighted that this funding will help them develop and grow their work across communities in the borough to ensure we build an even stronger, more resilient community that comes together to help one another. This funding will help connect families with each other and with organisations that provide vital advice and advocacy support through difficult times.”
Polling released alongside the announcement found 73% of Londoners thought community centres were important, but only 12% had visited their local centre, with 55% saying more activities would encourage them to attend.
Phil Chamberlain, the National Lottery Community Fund’s England director, said: “London’s diversity is its lifeblood; the city can be very proud of that. This truly life-changing funding will enable an invaluable network of local spaces that support communities to build trust, help one another, find solidarity, and forge the connections that make our communities a force for good.”
