Announcing the first round of successful Croydon Loves You 2025 grantees

We’re thrilled to announce the fourteen amazing community projects that have been awarded funding through the first round of our Croydon Loves You 2025 grants programme!

After a competitive application process, these creative arts-based projects will benefit the health and wellbeing of Croydon residents, during summer 2025.

Queer Croydon will deliver a year-long programme of creative wellbeing sessions for LGBTQI+ adults and trans youth to combat social isolation in the community.

Local musician Keziah Thomas will be delivering harp workshops for adults attending Croydon Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health in Addiscombe and Upper Norwood.

New Addington’s Community Creative Writing Group will be delivering weekly therapeutic creative writing workshops supporting adults in New Addington.

Reaching Higher will continue their weekly dance and wellbeing workshops for young women from global majority backgrounds.

Zoo Co will work with up to 15 adults with severe learning disabilities to express themselves through designing and directing individual theatre performances.

Heena Kim and Beyond Space will be offering ‘zine’-making workshops bringing together parents experiencing social isolation and/or depression in Upper Norwood and Crystal Palace.

Apsara Arts will engage older Asian women at risk of loneliness, social isolation and long-term health conditions through flower arranging and craft workshops.

Play Place will deliver a creative course for young people ages 8-13 identified as needing support for social isolation, gang involvement or additional needs in New Addington.

Agata Nowak is partnering with Crisis Croydon to offer a ceramic wellbeing programme supporting service users with experience of homelessness.

Farhaz Janmohamed will lead therapeutic poetry workshops for adults experiencing moderate mental health needs.

Willow Learning for Life CIC will support adults with learning disabilities to create original artwork sharing their perspectives in a public exhibition, with additional workshops for local families.

Croydon Vision will continue their weekly creative sessions for people with vision impairments at risk of social isolation.

Age UK will continue to deliver creative ‘Memory Tree Café’ activities in two care homes, supporting people living with dementia and their carers.

With four funding rounds scheduled across 2025, a total grant pot of £185,000​ is available for projects that engage residents at risk of health inequalities with creative activities to support specific health or wellbeing goals, such as reducing social isolation, improving mood, or supporting people with weight management.

Find out more about Croydon Loves You and upcoming opportunities to apply for funding between £500 and £5,000.