Grants scheme celebrates first anniversary

Archived press release

Date Published: 04/06/08

The Community Chest grants fund has awarded over £500,000 to local groups

Community groups in Aylesbury Vale are set to celebrate the first anniversary of the £5 million Community Chest fund.

More than 70 organisations have benefited from over £500,000 worth of funding under the grants scheme run by Aylesbury Vale District Council and the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust.

To mark the achievements of the scheme, this year’s successful grant recipients will be joining local and regional funding bodies for a celebration event at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on 4 June.

The Community Chest has made a real difference across the district since it was launched in spring 2007. In the first year of the scheme the grant amounts ranged from £250 to £25,000. This money was spent on a huge variety of projects ranging from providing equipment for local community groups to key enterprises that help some of the most disadvantaged people in the district.

More than 50 local groups each received micro-grants of up to £1,000 and 19 larger project grants were awarded, including Winslow Community Bus, which received £25,000 towards a new vehicle that carries 16 passengers, plus four wheelchair users. They run five regular bus services in rural areas where there is no public transport and the bus is also used for transport and outings by around 75 local community groups.

Other successful project grant applicants included the Halton-based Chilterns MS Centre, which received £20,000 towards the construction of a new custom-built centre, and Horses Helping People, which received £17,000 to enable disadvantaged people of all ages and backgrounds to learn horsemanship skills.

Nine local voluntary and community organisations were awarded long term revenue grants totalling £165,000 per year for the next three years. These included the Healthy Living Centre in Aylesbury, which received £25,000 to fund its outstanding on-going work with residents in Walton Court and Southcourt, and Wheelpower, which received £22,000 to improve the quality and variety of leisure opportunities available at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

The Community Chest is administered jointly by AVDC and the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust and has been funded by the transfer of the council’s housing stock in 2006. Each year for the next nine years, the fund will award around £500,000 in grants to support projects for local people.

Councillor Pam Pearce, AVDC Cabinet Member for Community Matters, said: “By working in close partnership, the district council and the housing trust have been able to fund worthwhile causes such as the Winslow Community Bus, Age Concern Bucks and many village projects through the Community Chest fund. The groups we have chosen have been delighted to have been given this additional funding which will allow them to carry on the invaluable services they provide. It is amazing the difference that they have made with these grants, and the benefits are felt right across the district. I’m delighted it has been so successful and look forward to the coming year being just as successful.”

Matthew Applegate, Chief Executive of the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, said: “The success of the Community Chest in its first year has exceeded all our expectations. The £1,000 micro grants alone are estimated to have benefited around 53,000 people in the Vale. The Community Chest has had – and will continue to have – a tremendous impact on neighbourhood projects. By supporting the selfless activities undertaken by the residents of the Vale we can help improve the quality of life and provide better and more accessible services for everyone.”

Voluntary and 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