Archived press release

Date Published: 19/01/07

Dozens of local groups in Aylesbury Vale could benefit from a new £5 million grant scheme to help make their project ideas become reality. At a meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council’s cabinet this week, members agreed the arrange...

Dozens of local groups in Aylesbury Vale could benefit from a new £5 million grant scheme to help make their project ideas become reality.

At a meeting of Aylesbury Vale District Council’s cabinet this week, members agreed the arrangements for the set up and operation of a Community Chest fund which will provide an estimated £500,000 annually for the next 10 years that can be spent on benefits for the whole community.

The fund, which is jointly managed by AVDC and the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust (VAHT), was created last year when the council transferred its housing stock to the Trust. Because VAHT has charitable status, the Trust and the council were able to set up a separate fund. VAHT will be reviewing the grant scheme at a board meeting in February.

Voluntary and community groups, parish councils and recognised partnerships, such as the Local Strategic Partnership, will be invited to apply for one-off grants to support projects which demonstrate their contribution to enhanced community well-being.

It is proposed the fund will be split into three areas: staffing and operating costs, long term revenue agreements with key organisations and four types of project grant, including large capital projects, partnership projects, funding for social enterprises and micro grants up to £1,000.

Councillor Pam Pearce, AVDC Cabinet Member for Community Matters, said: “As a council we firmly believe that community regeneration is best achieved at the grass roots level, which is why the ideas for funding from the Community Chest will come from the communities themselves. This is a way of making sure that there is funding to help with those projects that local people really want. I hope that many local groups will come forward with exciting ideas for projects and activities that will benefit people of all ages living in Aylesbury Vale.”

Examples of the sorts of projects which are expected to come forward include improvements to community facilities, such as children’s play areas and community centres, local community support projects for older people and environmental projects such as community clean-ups.

The fund will be managed independently by a Community Chest panel which will meet about five times a year. The panel, which will consist of three representatives from the council and three from VAHT, is expected to be appointed in May.

A grants officer will also be appointed to run the scheme. This new post will be wholly funded directly from the Community Chest.  

It is likely that the first grants will be awarded in the summer. Further details of how the Community Chest will operate and how to bid for funds will be announced in the next few weeks.

Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive of VAHT, said: “Here at the Trust, we are proud to be working in partnership with AVDC to invest £500,000 in our local community every year for the next ten years. When this is combined with the other funds that the Trust has set aside for improvements to the environment, community safety and off street parking, it will bring close to £1 million the total to be invested each year for the good of our neighbourhoods. We are looking forward to working with AVDC and the residents of Aylesbury Vale on the exciting ideas and projects that will be put forward.”

For more information on the Community Chest fund or advice on potential projects, please call (01296) 585186 or email grants@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk