Cash boost for community groups
Archived press release
Date Published: 30/06/08
The grant fund has awarded over £800,000 to more than 70 local organisations since 2007
Community groups in Aylesbury Vale are to benefit from a grants windfall of more than £80,000.
Fourteen organisations have been awarded grant funding, including charities providing support to vulnerable people and village groups aiming to improve community facilities.
The grants, totalling £83,229, come from the Community Chest – the £500,000 annual fund set up to help community groups when Aylesbury Vale District Council transferred its housing to the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust.
A brand new multi-purpose sports pavilion in Ashendon is a step closer thanks to a grant of £24,000. The existing dilapidated changing rooms are far from adequate and urgently need replacing.
The new pavilion will provide a community room in addition to updated changing rooms and parking improvements. The facility is likely to cost about £106,000 in total and the Ashendon Playing Fields Association has been successful in securing considerable funding for the project so far.
Aylesbury Vale Advocates, a registered charity based in Aylesbury town centre, has been granted £23,000 to support its work with vulnerable people. The funding will be used to employ an advocacy co-ordinator and recruit and train volunteers to provide support to people who are unable to speak for themselves because they have a learning disability, a mental health problem or are unable to communicate effectively.
A total of £10,777 has been allocated to provide equipment for a new pre-school in Padbury. The new facility will offer places for two to four year olds enabling childcare provision in the village to meet the needs of the local community.
Stoke Mandeville Hospital Radio has been given £10,000 towards the cost of a new studio.
The radio station is a charity that offers a personal service to patients and staff at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and is run by volunteers, funded by donations mainly from the people of Aylesbury.
The Oxford Concert Party, known as 'Europe's only Baroque and Tango Orchestra', has received £6,000 to enable older people to access live music through a project in partnership with Age Concern Bucks. Concerts will take place at day centres across the Vale and older people will be encouraged to take part in music workshops.
The PACE Centre in Aylesbury has been granted £2,224 to provide swimming and hydrotherapy sessions for children with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy. Children who cannot access public swimming or mainstream children’s swimming classes will have the opportunity to experience the delights of the water in a safely managed environment.
Other organisations to benefit include:
• Chilterns MS Centre – awarded £1,000 to fund an occupational therapist who will help patients cope with daily living activities
• Young Deaf Activities – given a £1,000 grant to provide a summer holiday playscheme for deaf children
• Whitchurch and Oving Youth Club – allocated £1,000 towards new games equipment
• Foxhill Indoor Bowls Club – awarded £1,000 towards new lighting at the club
• Aylesbury Women’s Aid – received £1,000 to update publicity materials
• Aylesbury Youth Action – given £1,000 to enable young people to create artwork which will be displayed around the new theatre site
• SPACE – allocated £988 to fund massage sessions for people dealing with relationship difficulties or a nervous breakdown
• Quarrendon Quakers Toddler Group – awarded £240 towards the cost of a trip to Mead Open Farm
The Community Chest has made a real difference across the district since it was launched last year. In its first full year of operation, the grant fund has awarded over £800,000 to more than 70 local organisations.
Grants made have ranged from £250 up to £25,000. This money has been spent on a wide variety of projects ranging from providing equipment for local community groups, to projects that help some of the most disadvantaged people in Aylesbury Vale.
Councillor Pam Pearce, AVDC Cabinet Member for Community Matters, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer support to all of these important groups and projects, so they can continue to meet the needs of people of all ages and backgrounds. All the groups receiving these grants provide extremely valuable and positive services for members of our communities.”
Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive of The Trust, said: “Again we see the benefit of the Community Chest. It is a truly unique way to help finance worthwhile projects. I can think of no other local funding stream that so successfully serves the needs of such a wide variety of projects.”
Community groups can apply for two types of grant: a micro grant of up to £1,000, which can be applied for at any time, or a project grant of up to £25,000. The deadline for the next round of project grants is 18 July.
To be eligible to apply, groups must be formally constituted, not-for-profit and operate within Aylesbury Vale, for the benefit of local residents or visitors to the area.
For more information about Community Chest grants, please call Sarah Rothwell on 01296 585634 or email communitychest@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk