A HOUSING group which manages properties in Keighley has been awarded more than £120,000 of Government funding for an initiative aimed at strengthening community cohesion and challenging prejudices.

Manningham Housing Association will run a series of projects – as part of Building Bridges Bradford – to promote shared values and tackle discrimination, as well as support people across the district affected by Covd-19.

There will be online training, plus workshops and community events in Covid-safe environments.

Sessions will also support individuals and families suffering from personal challenges, from financial pressures to poor mental health, made worse by the pandemic.

The £121,531 in funding is from the Government’s Faith, Race and Hate Crime grants scheme.

Manningham Housing Association, which manages more than 1,400 homes for around 6,000 residents in Keighley and Bradford, was one of just nine organisations nationally to receive funds.

Nasir Hussain, the association’s community partnerships and investment manager, oversaw the application.

He said: “Manningham Housing Association has a proud record as a community-led organisation of achieving real and meaningful change across Keighley and Bradford.

“With this funding, we will be actively supporting people from diverse communities to come together in innovative ways to build new relationships, become better neighbours and strengthen cohesion in the district.

“This year has been difficult for everyone but we firmly believe that Building Bridges Bradford can be the catalyst to positively impact the lives of large numbers of individuals and families for many years to come.”

Chief executive, Lee Bloomfield, said the award would enable the association to “really step-up” its community engagement work.

“In addition to the Government grant we are putting in extra support from our own resources so we can do even more,” he added.

“There are several other grant applications in the pipeline as we work to deliver an ever-growing list of projects through our community investment strategy, which provides a framework for us to work with stakeholders to help local residents and build more-resilient communities.”