The Southend Emergency Fund has once again shown the power of community in action, distributing more than £196,000 in grants to support vulnerable residents across the city. Between 2024 and 2025, the Fund awarded 79 grants totalling £196,127.50, providing essential backing to local projects that help people build practical life skills and improve food security.
Established during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southend Emergency Fund was created by a panel of local residents and community partners to provide urgent help when it was needed most. Since then, it has evolved to meet new challenges within the community and is now managed by the Southend Emergency Panel and the Southend Association of Voluntary Services (SAVS).
Life Skills, Food and Budgeting Fund
In recent months, the Fund has focused on the Life Skills, Food and Budgeting Fund, offering grants of up to £2,000 per organisation. The aim has been to empower residents by teaching valuable skills such as cooking, meal planning, and household budgeting—tools that can make a lasting difference to people’s wellbeing.
Among the projects to benefit are the ReachHer Community Resilience Cooking Project and Cooking for Confidence, both designed to give participants the confidence to prepare healthy, affordable meals and to make informed financial decisions.
Benji Andrews, Community Funds Manager at SAVS, explained:
“We are thrilled to announce that 79 Southend organisations have been awarded grants from this funding, supporting projects such as ReachHer Community Resilience Cooking Project and Cooking for Confidence.
This fund reflects a commitment to not just respond to emergencies, but to empower individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to take control of their wellbeing.”
Looking Ahead
Although the current funding round has now closed, the Southend Emergency Fund is already preparing its next initiative. A new round of Household Support Funding is expected to launch in late September 2025, continuing the Fund’s vital mission to support the many community organisations delivering positive change across Southend.
For more details about the Fund and its work, visit: www.southendemergencyfund.org.uk.
📸 Picture: St Luke’s Community Hub Tuesday Cooking Group, supported by the Life Skills Fund, teaching residents how to make simple, affordable meals using a slow cooker.