Hundreds of community projects are having a real impact on Staffordshire people with funding and backing from county councillors, could your Stone community group benefit from extra funding?
Computer coding classes for children in care, a community garden for children with sensory disabilities, a new mini-bus for disabled people in Newcastle, and schemes to prevent older people from being isolated are amongst the projects funded through the Staffordshire Local Community Fund.
Last year the fund supported over 676 community projects from across the county. Groups received £607,683 generating an estimated £1.2million in match funding to further boost the projects.
Each county councillor receives an allocation of funding for their local area and chooses which projects to fund. The scheme, which has been running for six years in its current form, has supported a broad range of community organisations including sports clubs, scouts and guides youth groups, older people’s social clubs, safety schemes, arts groups and more.
[box type=”shadow” align=”aligncenter” ]Ian Parry, Deputy Leader at Staffordshire County Council has responsibility for the scheme and said: “The Local Community Fund is a wonderful scheme that is making a real difference to Staffordshire communities. There is a huge amount of good work going on right across the county to improve people’s quality of life. From promoting healthy and active lifestyles, providing activities and equipment for children, to organising projects to reduce social isolation amongst older people.
“I’d urge people to find out more on our website and get in touch. Of course each County Councillor has a finite amount of money to allocate in their division – that is why we want to direct those funds where they’re needed most.”[/box]
Photos of some of the projects…
[box type=”info” align=”aligncenter” ]Community groups interested in applying for the funding need to get in touch with their county councillor before submitting any applications. Applicants can part-fund a project and can also apply to more than one councillor if their initiative benefits people from a wider area. All applications need to be submitted by November 30th this year and people can find out more by visiting www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil.
Some projects funded by the scheme:
- In Lichfield, the Lichfield Scrap Barn was set up in 2012 by Saxon Hill School to provide work based learning opportunities for its pupils. The Scrap Barn collects clean business waste from local businesses and sells these items to community groups and the public as low cost arts and craft equipment. The business has grown and joint councilor funding of £2,000 was put towards the installation of a mezzanine floor, which will create extra workshop space. The store is also undergoing a major transformation with a focus more on a traditional craft shop as well as on recycling. Some of the funding was used for the design and printing of new signage and stationery.
- In Tamworth, a grant of £450 was used to fund Firework Art and Christmas School Lantern Workshops. The project carried out workshops in local schools to create Firework Art Pictures which were displayed at Tamworth Castle. The funding was also used to pay for materials for pupils to decorate Christmas Lanterns to form a lantern parade as part of Tamworth’s Christmas Lights switch on event.
- In Stafford, Councilors from across the County joined forces to support a project by Staffordshire Women’s Aid to provide furniture for a new purpose built facility with 12 self-contained flats. The flats will be used as a refuge for women and children suffering domestic violence and accommodation for more complex needs including substance misuse and mental health issues. The project received a grant of £2,426. Baswich Canal Group were also supported with a grant of £600 for a noticeboard and towpath mooring rings to promote local shops and amenities in Baswich and Weeping Cross to canal and towpath users. It was installed along St. Thomas Bridge to enable visiting boaters to easily stop to visit the local shops, pubs and restaurants.
- In Staffs Moorlands, Norton House Community Centre for Older People
- Funding of £800 was put towards a programme of refurbishment of a former Red Cross Centre in Leek which was registered as a community asset and purchased by the group for community use. The funding was put towards painting and redecorating, upgrading to emergency lighting and fire alarm systems, improvements to the disabled toilets and disabled access and repairs to the front stone wall.
- Councilors in Cannock joined forces to provide funding of £865 to set up a weekly After School Club where children from three primary schools in Heath Hayes receive a freshly prepared meal and spent time doing activities including art and craft, board games and reading. The money paid for a food hygiene course and DBS check for each volunteer and a store cupboard, large freezer and kitchen equipment.
- The Burton Albion Community Trust used a grant of £977 was used to set up a weekly drop in football session in partnership with Anglesey Academy and Uxbridge Mosque, specifically targeting Asian Football programmes. The grant will pay for the first six months of the programme.
- In Newcastle-under-Lyme, three councilors joined together to provide funding of £2,750 to be put towards the purchase and adaptation of a wheelchair accessible Mini-bus to provide a door to door community transport service for the people of Newcastle and Kidsgrove areas with mobility problems or find it difficult to use public services.
- In Uttoxeter, funding of £580 was put towards essential basic first aid training by St. John’s Ambulance to include a training session in fire safety awareness by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service for the volunteers who run the Redfern’s Cottage -Museum of Uttoxeter Life.[/box]
