The regeneration of Grahame Park has received a boost following the award of £15,000 to local projects.  The funding has been made available by Barnet Homes and Genesis Housing Association and the projects include a new boxing club, a mentoring programme and IT career training for women.

The organisations benefiting from the grants include: Middlesex University, the Metropolitan Police, Grahame Park Community Boxing Club, St James’s School, the Barnet Refuge Service, Barnet Bulldogs and Saracens Rugby Club. The winners had assembled their bids as various consortiums.

Each successful consortium made a convincing case for how they were going to support the delivery of Grahame Park’s community and economic development strategy. The strategy has six main aims: community engagement and cohesion; communication and information; skills, employment and enterprise; community safety; public spaces and community facilities; and health & wellbeing.

The deserving winners received their grants at a special ceremony held at Grahame Park, when individual cheques were presented by Sherine McFarlane, Head of Genesis Community, a charitable foundation set up by Genesis which invested around £1.7 million in similar projects last year.

(Pictured above: Charlie Kanareck, Barnet Homes’ Resident Involvement Officer, Gareth Hatherly-Hurford and Chantelle Willis of Saracens Rugby Club, and Sherine McFarlane, Head of Genesis Community, at the cheque presentation ceremony held at Grahame Park.)

Sherine said: “At Genesis we believe in building communities, not just houses; which is why we’re delighted to be able to support so many different projects and initiatives which will benefit local residents, right here in Grahame Park.”

The event was also attended by Derek Rust, Director of Operations at Barnet Homes, and Luke Riley, Project Director at Genesis. Derek said: “Congratulations to everyone, on behalf of Barnet Homes and Genesis. It’s great to see so many different areas of the community represented today, and very rewarding to see so many worthwhile Barnet organisations chosen.”

“Now we’re really looking forward to the positive impact that these projects will have on our community and helping us successfully achieve the strategy’s objectives.”

“There will be a further round of funding in September, so more community organisations are encouraged to apply this autumn.”