Charity expands services with support from mygrimsby fund

In a bid to drive positive social change across Northeast Lincolnshire, myenergi and Grimsby Town Football Club pioneered a joint community initiative, the mygrimsby fund. Established in 2022, the fund supports individuals, businesses and charities that have made a positive impact on the local community.

Providing funding for support projects operating within five key areas: grassroots sport and extra curriculum activity groups; community, environment and cultural projects; innovation, technology and education workshops; eco-warriors and community heroes; and local charities and social enterprise, the fund will be used to enhance services, expand facilities and improve infrastructure.

In 2022 alone, the fund donated more than £23,000 to 24 community groups, including Creative Start – a charity committed to supporting, improving and raising awareness of addiction recovery in Grimsby and Northeast Lincolnshire.

Driving social change

Founded in 2012, Creative Start was launched to break down barriers, tackle loneliness and isolation, and provide opportunities for some of the most marginalised communities in  Grimsby and the surrounding areas. Committed to supporting, improving and raising awareness of recovery from addiction, the project is led by and for people with lived experience of addiction.

Members are encouraged to focus on using art and social contact to build trust and encourage personal development to create a sense of positive wellbeing, while rebuilding confidence and self-esteem.

Through workshops, hands-on training and creative activities, Creative Start helps to build practical skills and expertise, and offers access to essential equipment to create, exhibit and sell artwork. The team also collaborates with local communities, council-led services and other non-profits to organise murals, art exhibitions and social events.

Regenerating the community

Selected as a recipient for the mygrimsby fund, Creative Start received £1,500 to support ongoing improvements to its new workspace, ‘The Great Escape’, and the development of the first recovery café in Northeast Lincolnshire and a community kitchen.

The ‘Great Escape’ is a unique heritage restoration project on Grimsby’s docks, converting a historical building into a creative workspace. Once complete, members will have access to workshop facilities, a communal kitchen and a space for social engagements, meetings and creative projects. It will also support members of the local community who wish to launch their own community initiatives as the next step in their recovery.

As part of the ‘Great Escape’ development, Creative Start will launch the Blackgull Community Venue – the first recovery café and community venue in Northeast Lincolnshire. Alongside providing a secure, social space for the public, it will feature a small library and a selection of board games, as well as Wi-Fi access, a community kitchen and a ‘pay it forward’ scheme. The hub will also host a number of community projects and local groups.

Sam Delaney, director at Creative Start, said: “We’re extremely grateful to have received a donation from the mygrimsby fund. For more than a decade, we’ve worked to support the recovery community while also seeking to change the perception of people who have struggled with addiction, and we’re always incredibly proud to be recognised for our work.

“Our team is led by people with lived experience of addiction who are maintaining abstinence, so we understand how impactful a secure and supportive environment can be on the journey to recovery. The donation from the mygrimsby fund will go towards ‘The Great Escape’ project, which will allow us to create a community hub that makes recovery more accessible.”

Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO at myenergi, added: “At myenergi, we’re committed to not only celebrating our community, but growing it. We’re proud Grimbarians and it’s from this pride that we launched the mygrimsby fund, in partnership with Grimsby Town FC.

“The work undertaken by Creative Start is nothing shy of incredible, providing opportunities to some of Northeast Lincolnshire’s most vulnerable residents. Our donation will be used to support the ongoing regeneration project on the historic Grimsby docks, creating a safe space for those looking to move forward in their recovery.

“We’re delighted to be able to support Sam and the team as they continue to push forward supporting those in addiction recovery and alleviating the stigma attached to addiction.”