TWO years after receiving a £50,000 flagship grant from the London Stansted Community Fund, Grove Cottage, the home of Mencap in Bishop’s Stortford, is celebrating major progress on its new environmentally friendly headquarters.

Awarded in June 2023 as the Fund’s first flagship grant since its relaunch, Grove Cottage has now installed solar panels and thermal insulation throughout the new £2.5 million centre. These sustainable upgrades will help reduce the charity’s carbon footprint and lower long-term energy costs.

The grant has made a real difference, helping the charity move closer to its goal of creating a purpose built, energy efficient centre, and it also helped unlock other fundraising support along the way.

Grove Cottage has been a vital part of the local community for over 60 years, offering social and educational support for people of all ages with learning disabilities and additional needs. To continue meeting the needs of those it supports, the charity is rebuilding its outdated headquarters. The new centre will provide a modern, welcoming, and fully accessible space designed to better serve individuals and families now and in the future.

Richard Smith, Trustee and Treasurer at Grove Cottage, said:  

“We’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come since receiving the Community Fund flagship grant. The support from the Fund was a real turning point, it helped unlock other funding and showed the wider community just how much belief there was in this project. The new building will not only be modern and fit for purpose, but it’ll also be greener, more efficient, and better equipped to serve our members for decades to come. We’re truly grateful.”

This week, Marlon Osborne, Business Change and Readiness Director at London Stansted, visited the site to see progress first-hand and view the newly installed solar panels. He said:

“It’s fantastic to see the impact of the Fund’s first flagship award. Grove Cottage is a brilliant example of how this Fund can help create lasting benefits, not just for one organisation, but for the whole community. We’re proud to support such a meaningful project and look forward to seeing the Fund help many more local causes in the years ahead.”

Since its relaunch in 2023, the London Stansted Community Fund has awarded over £500,000 to charities and groups within a 10-mile radius of the airport. It supports initiatives that promote community life, education, health and wellbeing, and the environment. The SACF meets quarterly and is managed by a committee of independent members, local authority representatives and airport staff.

To find out more or apply for future funding, visit: https://www.stanstedairport.com/community/community-support/community-funds/