Funding available for community groups
Community groups and voluntary organisations across Warwickshire are being invited to bid for funding to help their work.
Grants of up to £5,000 are available from the Community Development Fund for one-off projects. Bids must be made with support from the local County Councillor and received by the deadline of 22 September 2006.
The fund is run by Warwickshire County Council to help communities, particularly in the more deprived parts of the county, address issues of local concern to them. Here are some examples of projects that were funded last year.
Warwick and Leamington:
Last year a neighbourhood-policing project was supported in Brunswick and Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs were able to put together a project to build confidence and social skills in 14 –25 years olds.
A song and drama group was set up for the local community in Lillington and a community involvement day with a climbing wall and circus skills workshops has been organised by Friends of Eagle Rec to be held this June.
Rugby:
The fund gave a grant to Wolston Cardiac Rehabilitation, which helps patients recovering from heart problems in rural communities. The money went towards a new treadmill that is very well used, and now the group hopes to expand the service.
North Warwickshire:
The fund awarded money to the Jack and Jill Pre-School in Dordon which is the only place in the area with whole day care provision, enabling parents to return to work. They also care for children with special needs and those from foster homes.
The fund bought wooden partitions to separate play areas, educational toys, arts and crafts equipment and a new carpet.
Stratford on Avon:
A grant was awarded to the Henmen’s Club at the Hub in Henley-in-Arden that promotes independence and self-sufficiency for retired men living alone or caring for partners with health problems. Cookery tuition has proved really useful for the group and the funds brought a new cooker to allow multiple baking classes.
Nuneaton and Bedworth:
Funding was awarded to Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in Nuneaton to reorganise the site so that disabled visitors could access the site and visit the looked after animals.
Once the bids are in, county councillors in each district and borough will pick the successful applications at the local Area Committee meetings in November.
County Councillor Peter Fowler said:"The Community Development Fund has proved to be a huge success with well over £1.25 million given to support over 400 projects since the fund was launched in 1994.
“We’d really encourage local groups to come up with ideas and apply for help in funding projects that are important to their communities. The money has been particularly helpful in deprived areas, which find it difficult to get the help they need from other sources.
“The money that is awarded allows Warwickshire County Council to work in partnership to increase access to a number of important local services. We welcome all applications for this year’s allocation that help enrich the local community.”