Basingstoke and Deane community organisations receive grants
Tadley’s Citizen Advice Bureau, Hampshire Cultural Trust and the Whitchurch Silk Mill are just some of the organisations that have received grant funding from the borough council.
At a cabinet meeting earlier this month, the council agreed to provide £1.1m in strategic grants to help with the running of organisations that provide specialist services which help meet the council’s priorities.
Tadley & District Citizens Advice Bureau received £47,500 to help with its running costs, Hampshire Cultural Trust received £183,599 and Whitchurch Silk Mill received £21,803.
Other organisations to receive grant money included Basingstoke Voluntary Action (£111,960), The Anvil Trust (£395,000) and YPI Counselling (£31,000).
Additionally, a new £214,000 strengthening communities grant scheme will be piloted over the upcoming year and be delivered by Basingstoke Voluntary Action (BVA).
This will replace the former scheme which provided grants for small-scale community projects and programmes.
The new pilot scheme, which is due to launch in April 2022, will enable organisations to apply for grants of up to £10,000, or up to £15,000 for joint applications, to support them to become more resilient and drive innovation to better meet community needs.
This includes funding to improve their business model, enhance their income generation, develop marketing plans and increase their volunteer base.
As part of the scheme, BVA will provide targeted advice and support for applicants and will also help groups to access other sources of funding available locally and nationally.
Cabinet member for community development Jenny Vaux (Con, Chineham) said: “We value the contribution of the borough’s community and voluntary sector and we are extremely lucky to have so many individuals and groups who strive to do so much for their communities.
“We have a strong track record of supporting communities to deliver services and activities for local residents and I am delighted that organisations will benefit from almost £1.4 million of funding this year.
“We are committed to working closely with communities to understand how we can continue to ensure our collective work makes the biggest difference to residents’ lives.
“As strong local groups and organisations are central to helping our communities to thrive, I am pleased that we are also piloting a new scheme which will support them to become more resilient and ensure they continue to meet their community’s needs in the future.”