Heylo Together | Heylo Housing

Supporting Customers,
Empowering Communities

Here at Heylo, supporting our customers to make a real difference in their local community is a key priority for us. Heylo Together is one of the ways that we support our communities.

Heylo Together is an initiative that allows Heylo customers to bid for grant funding for local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations who are working to make their communities better, stronger and somewhere that they are proud to call home.

Whether it’s giving more books to book clubs; more toys to toy libraries, or new Christmas lights for a local high street, Heylo Together exists to help ease financial pressures these vital groups face every day, so that they can get on and do the important work of bringing people in their community closer together.

What will we fund?

We are excited to be offering funding for projects and initiatives that benefit our customers and their local communities. We will provide funding to Heylo residents; local voluntary or community groups, resident groups, charities, social enterprises or other not-for-profit organisations that are nominated by our residents for initiatives that will have a demonstrable benefit to our residents and are aligned with the below aims of the programme.

Community wellbeing and engagement

Projects that are designed to support the health and wellbeing of the local community, be that through specialised support, initiatives to encourage exercise and participation in sport or delivering community events to engage and bring together local people and reduce isolation and loneliness.

Diversity, inclusion and community cohesion

Initiatives and events that celebrate diversity in our communities, promote inclusion and equal opportunities and support community cohesion.

Sustainability, nature and place

Projects that aim to support nature and biodiversity, reduce emissions, enhance local green spaces or encourage community members to make the most of outside spaces. For example, community gardening or tree planting initiatives.

Food access and security

Projects that provide access to food for those in financial hardship or support the work of food initiatives

Opportunity, skills and support

Initiatives that support access to education, training or work experience to build skills and increase opportunity in the community.

Who can apply?

Current Heylo leaseholders / shared owners who are living in a Heylo home are invited to nominate local voluntary or community groups, resident groups, charities, social enterprises or other not-for-profit organisations to receive funding for projects and initiatives that benefit Heylo resident(s) and the local community. We are open to applications across a broad range of initiatives and particularly those that are aligned with the programme aims set out above.

Applications must be made by a current Heylo resident that is living in their Heylo home. Customers that are not living in the home that they have with us, such as those that are sub-letting their home, are not able to submit applications.

What will be required?

Successful applicants will be required to:

Report on the impact of the project as it progresses and at the conclusion of the activity that the funding was given for. The method and format of reporting will be agreed with the applicant as part of the review of the application and process of awarding funding. For smaller projects, this could be as simple as reporting the number of community members that benefited from the project and/or providing photos. For larger projects, reporting could include participant surveys and other forms of impact assessment and reporting. The reporting will differ according to the project which is why this is something that will be agreed as part of the application review process.
Agree that the project will be featured in Heylo communications, including our Customer Report and/or ESG Report and newsletter/blog pieces, engaging with the Heylo marketing team to provide information including photographs as appropriate for Heylo publications.

How can you apply?

Please complete the application form, providing the following information:

The name of the organisation / initiative that you are proposing
An outline of the project/initiative that you are bidding for funding for
The amount of funding requested
The project’s alignment with our above programme aims
The anticipated impact of the project on the local community and Heylo customer(s)
What support there is for the project from our customers and/or the local community
An overview of the ability of the nominated organisation to deliver the proposed project
How you propose reporting to us on the impact of the project

Selection process and timescale

Once we receive your application, you will receive an acknowledgement email from us within 10 working days confirming the anticipated timescale within which your application will be reviewed and processed.

Your application will then be assessed by a panel. It will be assessed on the following basis:

The initiative’s alignment with the aims of the Heylo Together community fund
The amount of support (financial or otherwise) Heylo needs to provide
The anticipated impact of the project on the local community and Heylo customer(s)
What support there is for the project from our customers and/or the local community
The ability of the nominated organisation to deliver the initiative
Other dependencies which will impact the success of the project / initiative over which Heylo / the applicant has no / little control

The panel will aim to meet approximately every three months to review applications, after which point the funding awarded will be confirmed to applicants. You will be made aware of when it is anticipated that the panel will assess your application in the acknowledgement email. However, please note, Heylo is not able to confirm that your application will be reviewed within any three month period, the date of the panel review being dependent upon the number of applications it has received, availability of the panel and availability of the Heylo Together fund. Applications will be considered in order of date received unless urgent review is required for any other reasonable reason (e.g. the project being applied for is time dependent / sensitive such that it needs to be prioritised to achieve maximum impact).