Charities benefit from more than £8k of grants from Thatcham Town Council

A total of 15 groups initially applied for funds from Thatcham Town Council and 10 of these made the final cut and took home £8,666 between them on Monday evening.
This was the second tranche of the first year the town council was using Greenham Common Trust's Find Me a Grant website - a public web portal that aims to make it easier for local charities and community groups to source grants and attract public donations for projects and services.
Via the website, the town council found groups that were seeking funds that would benefit Thatcham and invited these charities to apply for town council grants.
One of the big winners on the night was Ufton Court Educational Trust which was asking for any amount possible and received £1,273 to help build an outdoor adventure unit for disadvantaged children.
Mary Riall from the trust, said: “We are there to challenge and inspire young people.
“We have been fundraising for this project for the past four years to try to raise the aspirations of local disadvantaged children.”
West Berkshire Therapy Centre was asking for £500 for seating and furnishings for the waiting area for a new rehab gym.
It received £750.
John Holt from the centre, said: “It’s designed to help people who have disabilities and find it difficult to take exercise.
“The gym will use specially adapted equipment.
“Even if you are quite heavily disabled, you can still take exercise.”
Community Christmas, which provides a Christmas day for elderly people who are alone, asked for either £500 to help support the Thatcham event or £3,250 for support for the website/accounts/IT.
The group received £1,000.
Community Christmas organiser, Caroline Billington, said that they had room to accommodate up to 50 people at the Thatcham based event.
She said: “We found that they make friends for life; it gives them additional contacts that they have made.
“Hopefully, they look forward to it and that they feel cared for, not abandoned.”

The full list of who got what:
Ufton Court Educational Trust - asked for as much as possible, was awarded £1,273
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust - asked for £1,400, was awarded £1,000
Community Christmas – asked for £500 or £3,250, was awarded £1,000
West Berkshire Rapid Response Cars – asked for £3,250, was awarded 1,625
Kennet Community Radio – asked for £316, was awarded £158
West Berkshire Therapy Centre – asked for £500, was awarded £750
Parenting Special Children – asked for £500 (facilitator fees) or £360 (administration costs), was awarded £500
Newbury Weekly News Over 80s Parcel Fund – asked for as much as possible, was awarded £500
Dingley Family and Specialist Early Years Centres – asked for £1,020, was awarded £1,520
Thatcham Pre-School – asked for £680, was awarded £340