2023 Powerhouse Fund recipients announced

Congratulations to the 18 organisations that will receive a total of £80k worth of grants from The Didcot Powerhouse Fund, ranging from £400 to £10,000, during its second year of grant-giving.

These will help fund and support those most in need in the local community, across the Didcot Garden Town Area of Influence, addressing the Fund’s annual theme of “supporting mental health & wellbeing in these times of hardship”.

This follows up on the success of the Powerhouse Fund’s 2022 grant-giving – the impact of which is demonstrated through this report – and now seeks to support vulnerable people during the current cost of living crisis.

Thank you to all the Milton Park companies who have donated to the Fund and to everyone who donated at the many events that took place in 2022 such as our popular wreath-making and National Curry Week event.

The Powerhouse really appreciates your support, and we hope you will support the Fund by attending our fundraising events throughout this year. We’d also be delighted if your company would like to become a corporate donor – if so, please contact veronica.reynolds@miltonpark.com.  

See below for the full list of this year’s 18 recipients and how they plan to use their grants:

• All Yours Period Box – providing 700 period boxes to people struggling with period poverty across Didcot.
• Be Free Young Carers – providing young carers with tools to support their mental health and wellbeing through its Mindfulness Movement programme.
• Clear Sky Children’s Charity – supporting Afghan refugee families who have been displaced through conflict and now in shared living conditions in Milton village.
• Didcot APUK – enhancing its provision of Didcot Baby Monday sessions for parents and their babies.
• Didcot Community Partnership – providing free mental health and physical first aid training to volunteers and staff members of local community organisations.
• Didcot TRAIN Inspiring Young People – providing mentoring support to vulnerable and socially disadvantaged Year 6 students.
• Harwell & Hendred Youth Football Club – providing girls the opportunity to play football.
• Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire – providing a weekly drop-in parent and baby support group for first-time parents.
• Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley – providing health and wellbeing workshops in Didcot primary schools for 3–11-year-olds.
• MyVision Oxfordshire – facilitating social and wellness group sessions for visually impaired people, typically aged 55-92.
• Oxford Creators CIC – providing wellbeing support to 100 children across the wider Didcot area through wellbeing boxes and weekly club, mental health journals and the creation of a Nurture room.
• Oxford Parent-Infant Project (OXPIP) – providing parent-infant psychotherapy and family support in the wider Didcot area.
• Riverside Counselling Service – Providing an increased number of drop-in counselling sessions and support as part of the Open Door Project.
• The Abingdon Bridge – providing preventative wellbeing and mental health support to young people aged 13+ via its Fuelling Minds initiative.
• The Buck Project Limited – helping local people to budget their money, deal with debt, gain employment and staying physically and mentally well.
• The Cornermen – supporting men’s mental health and preventing male suicides by providing professional support workers.
• Yellow Submarine – facilitating a weekly youth club and day activities for 11-18-year-olds with mild to moderate learning disabilities.
• 12^th Didcot Scouts – funding camping trips and activities for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to promote teamwork, social skills, leadership and confidence.

For more information on The Didcot Powerhouse Fund, please visit: www.didcotpowerhousefund.co.uk/