The charity’s mission is to enhance the lives of Catalyst customers and communities by improving independence, choice and prosperity.
The objective is to provide funding support for Catalyst customers in hardship or challenging circumstances or for community projects, which improve the social and economic conditions of our neighbourhoods.
Catalyst Housing Charitable Trust (CHCT) also maintains support for the work of the Catalyst Communities teams who work to help residents reduce debt and improve financial inclusion, into employment or increasing skills and education, ensure young people are able to engage in positive activities outside of school and offer improved community activities in line with service outcomes.
CHCT offers support to individual residents and to resident run community projects via two grant schemes.
Customer Support Fund
CHCT provides small grants to individual customers. This grant should provide a tangible improvement in the customer’s life and can only be applied for if a customer is working with a member of the Advice and Wellbeing Team. This is to ensure that it is part of a holistic package with customers accessing all help available. It can offer support under three headings:
Alleviating financial hardship
Support for the purchase of essential household items or items such as school uniform. Customers will need to answer questions on their financial situation in order to assess their hardship needs.
Achieving aspirations
Support for items that help customers reach their personal development goals in employment or education and training.
Health and wellbeing
Support for items or activities which positively impact a customer’s health and mental and physical wellbeing.
Community Support Fund
CHCT offers small grants for community events or projects initiated by Catalyst customers. It invites applications under three headings:
Community events
Funding for communities to put on local events such as street parties or fairs.
Community projects
Funding for small scale projects such as providing play equipment at a local stay and play group.
Green spaces
Support with small grants for groups who would like to improve community spaces with new plants or trees.
Meet the CHCT Board
Sahil Khan
Sahil is Director of Community Investment at Catalyst Housing and chair of Catalyst Housing Charitable Trust. He is also a Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) London Board member and a trustee at Local Trust.
Delphine Merlot
Delphine is a dynamic and results driven leader, obsessed with customers and passionate about brands. She is an expert in creating and implementing engaging customer and employee experiences.
Cathy Williams
Cathy is a resident member on the CHT Board, having been a shared owner in west London for over 15 years. She is also a member of the Performance Allies scrutiny panel, raising issues affecting homes and lives for every Catalyst customer.
Marie Vernal
Marie has over 20 years experience of working in social care with children and families, currently providing services for children with disabilities and has been a board member for four years.
Dipa Joshi
Dipa is an architect with over 25 years’ design and implementation experience in areas including residential, commercial, recording studios and cultural space design. She is passionate about regeneration and building better communities with social value, and champions increasing diversity across the built environment.
Karina Skinner
Coming soon.
