A lifeline for families on the Isle of Wight
The South Wight Area Youth Partnership (SWAY) works with young people and their families disadvantaged by location, background or circumstances. SWAY’s support builds self-confidence, self-worth and empowers people to make positive changes in their lives. HIWCF grants have supported SWAY’s work to provide one-to-one support for both parents and young people, as well as running […]
Supporting Portsmouth’s Gambian community
Portsmouth Gambian Association (PGA) provides support, companionship, encouragement and celebration of its culture for more than 150 people in and around Portsmouth and Gosport. A grant from HIWCF’s Portsmouth City Community fund helped it organise family events to bring its community together and hold a series of workshops to address issues such as internet safety, […]
Where confidence grows – the community-led power of Monty’s Community Hub
Left to right: Greta, Debbie, Gill, Anna and Josh from Monty’s Community Hub Monty’s Community Hub in Sholing, Southampton, offers a place for the whole community to meet, create, cook, eat, support, share and learn. Its collaborative ethos provides a space for people to share their skills and pick up new ones and among its […]
How HIWCF’s funding helped transform T’s life through sport
We all know that good physical, mental and emotional health is the foundation for a fulfilling life. Yet many people face significant barriers to achieving it. HIWCF’s Get Active, Get Involved Fund was established to help increase access to local community sports and physical activity. One of the community groups supported through this programme is […]
How Portsmouth became a city of sanctuary for Kadiatu
Portsmouth City of Sanctuary is based at St Luke’s Church in Southsea and provides a place for around 3,000 asylum seekers and refugees a year to find advice, support, food and above all a warm welcome. The CIC has received funding from HIWCF for many aspects of its support work, in particular its Kitchen of […]
Funding for debt advice service transforms Tyler’s life
Citizens Advice in Winchester is a volunteer-led service offering free, impartial advice that is open to all. Its advisors help clients manage debt, access benefits, avoid eviction and understand their rights. Over many years it has received funding from HIWCF for its debt advice services and cost of living support. For Tyler the moment he […]
Supporting Care Leavers on the Isle of Wight: Abbie’s story
“Isolation makes it easy to forget that people are kind – coming to the Hub reinstates that faith in connection and community.” For care leavers like Abbie, that sense of kindness, safety and connection can be life-changing.
Supporting care leavers in Hampshire: Kelly’s story
At just five years old, Kelly was taken into care after a court order was issued due to persistent neglect. Her early life was marked by instability: frequent short-term foster placements, disrupted contact with her birth mother, and, eventually, bereavement. When her mother passed away when Kelly was 12, she was left to navigate adolescence […]
Bridging loneliness in the New Forest: Carol’s story
HOPe New Forest’s Befriending Service is supported with a grant from HIWCF’s Charles Burnett Memorial Fund and has 60 befrienders carefully matched to clients…
Empowering people on the edge of the Forest
In Totton, on the edge of the New Forest, many local people face daily challenges that go unnoticed: poverty, long-term illness, poor mental health, and social isolation. Youth and Families Matter (YFM), a grassroots charity based in the town, has worked for over 30 years to meet these challenges head-on.