Didcot Powerhouse Fund donors, grant recipients and team are meeting on 02 February to share the successful impact and progress made by grant recipients of the Fund in its first year of operation.
Powerhouse grants directly benefitted 1,567 individuals and many more indirectly, under the theme of ‘Helping Children, Families and Young People as we emerge from the Pandemic’. The full Didcot Powerhouse 2022 Impact Report launch is available here.
Powerhouse aims to address inequality locally, and in 2022, the Fund shared £95,000 among 17 community-led organisations for projects supporting Didcot and the local villages, which are now 100% underway. 208 community volunteers were instrumental in the delivery of these grant-funded projects, and 63 new volunteers have been trained thanks to Powerhouse funding.
Projects addressed the very young, from babies and toddler age, right up to teenagers, helping them socially, educationally, and emotionally. Projects also enabled disadvantaged individuals to access personal development and learning support at key milestones in their lives.
This has proved especially important for families who are facing a struggle with the rising cost of living but want to help their children develop and thrive in the future. Details of the 2022 grant recipients are here.
Elizabeth Paris, Chair and Deputy Lieutenant, Oxfordshire, said: “Our donors have been fantastic in committing themselves to the Fund and trusting our Grants Panel to ensure their money is carefully spent to guarantee maximum impact in the community. It is inspiring to see the positive outcomes achieved by each of our grant recipients this year”.
Local MP for Didcot and Wantage, David Johnston, said: “It’s wonderful to see how the Powerhouse Fund has helped community and businesses to connect with each other.
“This has extended beyond simply donations, including offering young people vital training and work opportunities, and demonstrates the power of collaboration to increase the impact for our community.”
Patron of The Didcot Powerhouse Fund, Lord Vaizey of Didcot, said: “Many years ago, I went on an arctic trek to raise money for charities in Didcot, so when Powerhouse started, I was keen to help.
“There are so many great charities in and around Didcot that need and deserve our support, and that makes a real difference to the community. I ended up running a marathon, and many people kindly donated as a result. This Impact Report shows the real difference that all the money raised so far has made, and I hope Powerhouse continues to the thrive.”
