Statement from Lewes District Council on Havens Community Hub

Havens Food Cooperative, under the leadership of Paula Woolven, has become an important and highly valued community resource. The cost of living crisis remains a reality for thousands of people in the district and the range of support provided by Paula and her team has helped many hundreds of residents cope with the day-to-day challenges that they continue to face.

In March 2023, we were delighted to help Paula secure £200,000 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  We were also able to confirm smaller awards for other community groups and projects in Lewes district.

Most recently, we are also distributing upwards of £260,000 in community grants to 30 local charities and projects, including green initiatives which help residents access food.

Regrettably, our allocation from the latest round of UK Shared Prosperity Funding has been greatly reduced by the government. We now have a total of £100,000 to distribute to local organisations. 

However, we have decided to ring fence this money to all existing recipients of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including the Havens Community Hub, the umbrella organisation that includes the Havens Food Cooperative.   

We hope and encourage Paula and her team to apply for this money. We will also do all we can to help Paula access other grants and funding streams that become available.

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