The initiative has been made possible due to the partnership between Riverside and One Housing, which joined the Riverside Group as a subsidiary in December 2021, creating one of the country’s largest association groups with over 75,000 homes.

As part of Riverside’s commitment to investing in customers and communities, an additional £2.5m is being invested into support services for customers. This is to help support customers who might be struggling financially.

The Community Fund is one of these initiatives, with the £250,000 funding being provided through the Riverside Foundation, Riverside’s charitable arm.

The fund is open to customers, charities, not-for-profit organisations, clubs, constituted groups, informal groups and individuals. It’s open throughout 2022/23 and the only stipulation is that the project must aim to improve the lives of Riverside customers and our local communities.

Riverside is looking to support a range of projects aimed at promoting opportunities and wellbeing for its customers – this could be anything from supporting a wellbeing session at your local community centre to buying sports equipment for your football team.

There are three levels of funding – small projects under £3,000; wider projects in need of between £3,000 and £10,000; and larger-scale initiatives which need grants of over £10,000.

Customers from both Riverside and One Housing have contributed to the development of the Community Fund, including reviewing its objectives and criteria through the organisations’ Customer Pledges Task and Finish Group, and in turn, have supported the housing associations to improve opportunities for their customers.

Sarah Wall, Riverside’s head of homes and communities, said: “Every year the Riverside Foundation helps thousands of Riverside customers realise their potential – whether that’s through practical support in securing someone a job or helping local groups make their neighbourhoods a better place to live.

“When we were consulting our customers about the partnership with One Housing, we made a series of customer pledges, including a commitment to improve the livelihoods of customers and build stronger communities.

“The Community Fund is a direct outcome of our partnership with One Housing and we’re really excited to be opening applications. It’s really simple to apply – so if you’ve got an idea that could boost your local community please visit our website and tell us about it.”