Near Neighbours in Eastern London is now up and running. Every day we’re having productive meetings with local community groups in Greenwich, Hackney, Islington, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

If you have a project we could help, we’d love to hear from you. If you’ve got an idea for a project, we’d love to hear from you. If you know someone who’s doing fantastic work in the local community, we’d love you to tell them about us!

So what kind of thing are we talking about? Well there are three areas…

1) Creating First Encounters between people of different faith and ethnic communities and encouraging the development of mutual understanding.

2) Creating Everyday Interactions by encouraging families and individuals to come together regularly to eat together, jointly participating in religious and other festivals, encouraging children to play together in a neighbourhood.

3) Creating Civil Engagement which brings together people from different faith or ethnic communities to work together to change their neighbourhoods for the better.

If you’ve got an idea or you’re already doing something that fits these criteria and you’re in one of the areas mentioned above, then get in touch.

Award amounts range from £250-£5000. It is possible to be awarded more than one grant, especially when a locality or grouping is progressing from First Encounters, to Everyday Interactions, to Civic Engagement.

For more information and to discuss whether you and your group may be eligible for a grant, contact Revd Tim Clapton via the following methods:

Phone: 0207 780 1600

The Contextual Theology Centre, The Royal Foundation of St Katharine, 2, Butcher Row, LONDON, E14 8DS