Four community projects are to receive funding from Barking and Dagenham Council this year under its Innovation Grants programme.

The Recovery LinkUp Cafe, the Somali Women’s Association, Teach Forex and the Green Shoes Arts Community Interest will benefit from thousands of pounds for their work with people in the borough.

In today’s Post we said the four organisations would have their grants cut from April this year, but at a cabinet meeting last week the council agreed to give the organisations money from April for 2012/13.

Based in Barking, the Recovery LinkUp Cafe will be a meeting place for people recovering from addictions. The project, which is being given �8,500 by the council, will recruit six volunteers and will run one night a week for 20 people, who will also be given a meal.

The Somali Women’s Association will get �6,000 to run a job club for 50 women from different communities in the borough. The women will have been unemployed or on benefits for five or more years, and 20 per cent of the people attending the club will have disabilities.

Teach Forex will run a project called Bmoney Wize using the �9,995 grant from the council. The scheme will help people understand their finances using interative money board games, and will be aimed at parents and those on low incomes.

The final project to get a grant is the Green Shoes Art Community Interest, which will receive �5,695. The programme will support three community artists to pilot three projects to promote community cohesion.