Havering Changing receives funding from Clarion Futures for Let’s Make Havering Happy

Havering Changing is delighted to announce that it has received funding from Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, to increase the impact of Let’s Make Havering Happy.

Let’s Make Havering Happy is a series of creative projects in response to the increasing social isolation and loneliness caused by the on-going lockdown. Havering Changing are working with artists, community groups and service providers to help spread some joy and inspire people to engage in creative activities, make them feel valued and lift their mood.

Havering Changing are producing a Box of Happiness chock-full of interesting stuff to do, read and experience which will also include a fanzine (a co-created magazine full of creative things to do including artwork, colouring-in graphic pages, poetry, information, competitions and uplifting messages).

The participants for the projects will be from Harold Hill, Rainham, Romford and Orchard Village who are isolated and vulnerable people and residents who are living in sheltered/emergency accommodation, care leavers, hostel residents, foodbank users or individuals and families who would benefit from some positive energy to help them get through the lockdown.

During the open call for the project we have received over 500 requests for boxes from community based delivery partners including churches in Collier Row and Harold Hill, food banks in Harold Hill and Rainham; Havering Mind; Havering Women’s Aid; Homestart family support; Hope 4 Havering; Harold Hill School Welfare Officer; LBH Children’s Services and LBH Housing Demand services.

The grant will be used to help meet the increased demand for the boxes and ensure more people in need get to experience some creative joy at this time.

Clarion Futures is also a member of the Havering Changing consortium, a partnership of 9 local organisations that will seek radical new ideas to engage local communities in arts and culture, support local decision makers and share learnings, led by Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.

James Jackson, Project Director for Havering Changing, said "We are overjoyed at Clarion Futures' support for Let’s Make Havering Happy. Lockdown has had a significant impact on everyone’s mental health and wellbeing. We are so pleased to be supporting those most in need to experience some creative joy at this time. Let’s Make Havering Happy has brought artists, service providers and the community together to create something special".

Matt Parsonage, Head of Communities for Clarion Futures, said: “Organisations like Havering Changing make such a difference to local communities, especially at a time like this. We’re proud to be supporting them to help reach even more people through their Let’s Make Havering Happy initiative and hope that together we can tackle social isolation and loneliness through lockdown and beyond.”

For further information please contact happy@haveringchanging.org