More than £18,000 has been handed to Nottingham City Homes community groups thanks to a grant supplied through procurement consortium Efficiency East Midlands (EEM), based at Annesley. It was part of EEM’s funding of £60,000 across the East Midlands.

From exercise classes for the young at heart to food and cooking initiatives for children in deprived areas, the funding is set to keep much-needed community resources alive.

Now with 36 members, representing more than 200,000 properties across the region, as well as other public sector bodies, EEM last year had a turnover in excess of £44m. As a not-for-profit company, it chooses to reinvest the surplus it makes back into the communities it serves.

Pete Smith, managing director of EEM, said: “Knowing the work we do not only helps organisations achieve affordable rent for tenants, but helps to invest in the communities they serve is a real achievement.

“I’m always delighted to see our community grants scheme at work, and just looking at these initiatives in Nottingham shows me that it’s an effective and incredibly beneficial scheme.”

At last year’s AGM, more members were handed community grants than ever with 18 organisations, including Nottingham City Homes, receiving funding from £600 to £18,000.

Nottingham City Homes was granted £18,338 to spend within its communities. The social housing provider asked local community groups to bid for a share of its funding pot. Thanks to a judging panel, including representatives and tenants from both EEM and Nottingham City Homes, the funding has been allocated to six community groups across the city.

•Kid’s Kitchen – £3170
•Food Freedom – £4883
•Friends of Meadows Library – £1,850
•Mojatu Foundation Limited – £4,300
•Young at Heart – £2,700
•Shiefton Youth and Community Enterprise – £1,435.

June Peacock is part of the Young At Heart Club, which meets at the Edwards Lane Community Centre in Sherwood. The group holds exercise classes for the over 50s twice a week. Sessions also include a chance for local people to make new friends and have a ‘cuppa and cake’.

She said: “This is an exercise club as we all want to keep ourselves fit and healthy, but it’s also very much a social club. We’ve found on many occasions that the people who come along have been on their own and didn’t have any real opportunity to socialise with other people.

“Now we have groups of friends who meet up regularly and even go on holiday together. Keeping this club going is so important to the local community, but of course it costs money. The funding will make such a difference to us this year, we’re very grateful.”

Nottingham City Homes is committed to supporting its communities and will later this year be awarding even more cash to communities through its Ten Year Anniversary Fund.

Janet Storar, Chair of the Board at Nottingham City Homes, said: “I’m very pleased to have been on the judging panel for this community grants funding yet again. For EEM to provide us with a share of their surplus, when we make fantastic savings with them anyway, is a phenomenally generous thing to do.

“I can see the real benefits directly to the community, which makes the whole process even more worthwhile.”

Pictured are chairman of the board of EEM Shaun Bennett, of Derby Homes, and Emily Braham, of Nottingham City Homes.