Asda is donating £1.25m into revitalising churches, youth clubs and town halls across the UK, as part of its newly launched Local Community Spaces Fund.
The Asda Foundation will offer grants of between £10,000 and £20,000 to 79 community projects across the UK. The funds will be used to develop new places, or improve or repair buildings used by community groups from Lowestoft to Kirkcaldy.
According to the supermarket’s latest Community Insights Tracker, 42% of community groups consider access to “safe and inclusive” spaces to be critical issue the foundation should support, in order to tackle social problems like crime and improve access to mental health services. Asda launched the Local Community Spaces Fund last year to support the demand.
One of the organisations set to receive new funding is the charity Autism Rocks, which supports people with autism and their families in Fife, Scotland. The charity has been awarded £17,640 to build a new sensory calming space, as well as improve security fencing at its centre.
“I was lost for words when I heard the news – it came as a massive surprise for us, and it’s one we’re hugely grateful to the Asda Foundation for,” said Liza Quin, Autism Rocks founder.
The Asda Foundation was launched 36 years ago with the aim of supporting “grassroots” organisations, charities and communities local to its supermarkets. The annual grant is funded directly by charitable donations from Asda stores. It has awarded £57m in total funding since then, including £3.2m in 2024.
“Safe and welcoming community spaces play a crucial role in bringing people together and supporting essential local services,” said Asda Foundation chair Karl Doyle.
“Through the Local Community Spaces Fund, the Asda Foundation is proud to invest in these vital hubs at a time when many groups are facing growing challenges to sustain and improve them. Our aim is to strengthen community ties and help tackle loneliness by enhancing the places where people come together.
“Congratulations to the 79 successful groups receiving funding – we’re excited to see the meaningful impact these grants will have in communities across the UK.”
It comes as the latest update from Asda’s Income Tracker shows that the prolonged surge in food inflation is increasingly starting to squeeze middle-income family pockets. Disposable income for families in the bracket dropped by 1.6% in July on average, the first fall since September 2023.
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