Community Grants

 

The latest round of community grants has been announced, with 34 local groups benefitting from more than £20,000.

This instalment was the final allocation for the 2012/2013 financial year – a year that has seen community groups in Cheshire East receive a total of £96,133 in grant funding, helping to deliver projects with a total value of well over £700,000.

Grants are available to support community, environmental, sports, arts, heritage and play projects. Only one grant can be awarded to each organisation per financial year.

Organisations often use the grants to complement, or even ‘unlock’, other funding to finance larger schemes. 

Applications are judged on a number of criteria and they should be able to display that their project: enhances the quality of life for Cheshire East residents; increases involvement in the community; demonstrates the potential to be sustained in the future; and that it can attract more participants.

Some of the successful groups in the latest round (amount awarded in brackets) are:

Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre (£1,300)

The centre wishes to create an elevated pond and wild flower area to improve interactive learning for schools and community groups. This large project is expected to cost £15,600 with other funding coming from sponsorship and contributions from the centre.

Wishing Well Project (£1,500)

Wishing Well want to purchase a mobile recording studio for their youth club and partner youth clubs to use. It is thought that it will help improve confidence, reduce social isolation and improve literacy skills among young people.

Brereton Scout Group (£3,000)

The group is looking to replace the scout hut roof as it leaks and the timbers are becoming damaged. The entire project will cost £5,750, with the group also contributing funding.

Councillor Lesley Smetham, Cabinet support member for strategic communities, said: “We are delighted that our grant scheme has helped 119 community and voluntary organisations over the last year.

“We are also pleased that despite the tough financial climate, we are not planning a reduction in funding for next year’s community grant scheme – this is in recognition of the important community activity these grants support.

“I would advise anyone interested in applying for the next round of grants to get in touch and find out more.”

For more information on Community Grants go to www.cheshireeast.gov.uk and look in the Community and Living section. The next deadline for applications is March 29.

This decision is subject to the standard call-in period.