Community organisations, parish, town and city councils are being reminded that there is still time for them to apply for funding for local projects from Mendip District Council’s Community Environment Fund.
The Community Environment Fund, launched in early 2013, allows each of Mendip’s 47 district councillors to allocate up to £2,000 towards community projects which benefit residents of their wards.
The fund is for any project which improves the local environment – natural, built or social – and councillors are allowed to pool their funds to support larger projects or share funding of projects.
While a number of councillors have already allocated all of the funding in their ward, there is still £62,000 remaining across the district which needs to be allocated by the end of February 2015.
Schemes already supported by the Community Environment Fund include youth work sessions, village hall improvements, picnic benches, summer fetes, community art classes, a soup kitchen, a food bank and volunteer training sessions.
The application process is quick and simple. A form can be downloaded from www.mendip.gov.uk/communityfunding Once completed, applicants should contact their local councillor with the form. If the councillor authorises the funding then it will usually be issued within 30 days. To find your local councillor go to www.mendip.gov.uk/contactacouncillor
Cllr Philip Ham, Portfolio Holder for Policy and Performance, said: “Within the last few weeks we have released nearly £200,000 to community groups through our Local Legacy Fund. However, there is still funding available through the council’s Community Environment Fund, which has been set up to support a wide range of smaller community projects.
“I would encourage any community groups seeking funding for a local project to contact their ward councillor as soon as possible, before the funding gets snapped up.”
For more information, go to www.mendip.gov.uk/communityfunding or contact Matthew Cheney, Funding Officer, on 01749 341420 or[email protected]