Homebuilder relaunches Winter Wellbeing Fund

A North East housing provider is helping communities tackle cost of living pressures.

Karbon Homes has reopened its Winter Wellbeing Fund, offering grants of up to £2000 to local charities and community groups supporting residents in need. 

The initiative, supported by CEF Electrical, forms part of Karbon’s wider Community Investment Fund and is aimed at organisations operating in areas with a high concentration of Karbon residents.

Funding can cover essentials such as food, hygiene products, volunteer expenses, equipment for community meals and support for lunch clubs. 

Paul Moralee, community investment manager at Karbon Homes, said: “As the cost of living remains high, more and more residents across our communities are having to make stark decisions between heating their homes and buying food and household essentials. 

“We want to do what we can to help as many local groups and charities as possible to continue providing vital support.”   

Previous recipients include Walking with the Wounded, which used the grant to provide food vouchers and wellbeing support to veterans and their families in North Shields.

Jennifer Bone, trusts and foundations executive at Walking with the Wounded, said: “With the ongoing cost of living crisis, veterans have been forced to make difficult financial decisions and choose between heating and eating. 

“The grant from Karbon Homes helped us to alleviate some of this need and has enabled us to purchase emergency food shops and vouchers.”  

One of the veterans who was able to benefit from the support was Jon (name changed to protect identity), who was sleeping on the sofa of a local drug dealer and was in an extremely precarious position.  

Jennifer and the team helped him by securing safe housing, providing food and offering ongoing support.

Jennifer added: “We were able to get Jon settled into a new property with credit on his utility meters and food in his cupboards. 

“We wouldn't have been able to achieve this without the support of the Winter Wellbeing Fund. 

“Jon is now accessing veterans' football, and we’ve supplied him with clothes and hygiene products which will help him to become less socially isolated.”  

The current funding round closes on October 31, with decisions expected by mid-November. 

Interested community groups and charities can apply via the Karbon Homes website here.

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