Archived press release

Date Published: 19/11/07

Community groups across Aylesbury Vale are in for another cash boost after more than £100,000 was awarded from the annual £500,000 Community Chest grants fund. A total of 15 community groups and organisations have been awarded funding...

Community groups across Aylesbury Vale are in for another cash boost after more than £100,000 was awarded from the annual £500,000 Community Chest grants fund.

A total of 15 community groups and organisations have been awarded funding for projects which aim to enhance the quality of life for local residents.

Among the successful groups was the Queens Park Arts Centre in Aylesbury, which received a grant of £25,000 to help safeguard its future.

The centre, which not only houses the Limelight Theatre but also provides gallery space and a wide range of courses for children and adults, is aiming to raise £325,000 to buy its present building from the county council.

Two new play facilities will be built in Aylesbury Vale to help promote a healthy and active lifestyle to young people. Grants totalling £25,000 will go towards new skate parks in Stoke Mandeville and Wendover where young people will be able to meet and safely enjoy skateboarding activities.

The NM&G Sports Field Working Party has been awarded a grant of £15,654 to rejuvenate a piece of land between North Marston and Granborough.  The funding will be used to build a nature trail and trim trail, incorporating an existing wildlife pool.

Talkback, a Buckinghamshire based organisation for people with learning disabilities, has beenawarded a grant of £12,500 towards a project to guide young people through the difficult transition from full-time education to work. The project will equip young people with the skills to play an active role in adult life and society.

In addition, the Citizens Advice Bureau in Aylesbury has received funding totalling £12,500 to train volunteer advisors on different aspects of employment law and a grant of £5,500 has been awarded to Age Concern to help the Buckinghamshire branch run outreach sessions aimed at providing financial advice to vulnerable older people throughout the Vale.

Other awards were:
• Long Crendon and Chearsley Art Group – £1,000 to fund regular visits from professional artists to give talks, demonstrations and training sessions
• Puzzle Pre-school specialist nursery in Middle Claydon – £1,000 towards the purchase of media equipment for creating and presenting training sessions for parents and carers of children with autistic spectrum disorder
• Indian Cultural Society (Aylesbury) – £1,000 towards an event to celebrate the Diwali Festival
• Bierton School – £1,000 to provide weekly cycle surgeries at the school, where bicycles will be checked and repaired
• Chearsley Youth Club – £1,000 to provide new equipment including a TV, electronic dance mats and games
• Wing Tennis Club – £894 to provide specialist equipment including an automatic ball machine and a rebound net for training junior members
• Chackmore Pre-School – £500 to provide a new laptop to enable children to access interactive DVDs or CD-Roms
• Winslow Town Council/ Buckingham South Neighbourhood Action Group – £368 to print a leaflet to publicise young people’s activities 

The Community Chest grants fund has awarded more than £200,000 to community groups in the district since it was launched earlier this year. The grant scheme is run jointly by Aylesbury Vale District Council and the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust.

Groups can apply for three types of grant: a micro-grant of up to £1,000, which can be applied for at any time, a project grant of up to £25,000, or a long-term revenue grant of up to £25,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

Councillor Pam Pearce, Cabinet Member for Community Matters at AVDC, said: “I am delighted that the excellent work of the various groups that applied will be boosted by these grants. I very much look forward to seeing how the money is used to enhance local communities.”

Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive of VAHT, said: “The arts, sport, culture, communication, education, advice and healthy lifestyles for young and old – the diversity of activities we support underlines the variety and vitality of the communities in the Vale.

The deadline for the next round of project grants is 31 January 2008. For more information about Community Chest grants, call AVDC on 01296 585634 or email communitychest@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk