Nearly £60,000 awarded to community groups across Charnwood

St Mary’s Grub Club have received funding towards their school holidays club including free meals.

The Walk and Talk project in Loughborough has been awarded £2,500 to be used towards their mental health and wellbeing groups. They operate weekly walking clubs which aim to help change the stigma around mental health.

Another £2,500 has been awarded to the Charnwood Ukrainian Community Association. The group works to help Ukrainian refugees integrate into the local community and supports them with any challenges or issues.

Cllr Liz Blackshaw, the Council’s lead member for communities and neighbourhoods, said: “I am so pleased to see these fantastic projects be supported by the Council through our community grants scheme.

“These groups play a vital role in the towns and villages across Charnwood and I look forward to hearing about the good work that they are continuing to do.

“We are committed to supporting projects across the borough so I would encourage community groups to apply for funding in the next round of Charnwood Community Grants.”

Syston-based group, Age Concern have received £2,500 to help them support the elderly community within the town and surrounding areas. The funding will help run activities such as coffee mornings and art and craft sessions.

The 12 Charnwood Community Grants which have been awarded are:

• £2,000 to St Mary’s Grub Club towards school holidays club including free meals. £1,000 awarded through Community Grants and £1,000 from Cost of Living Grant
• £2,500 to The Walk & Talk Group towards mental health & wellbeing social group
• £2,500 to Charnwood Ukrainian Community Association towards Ukrainian community social & educational group
• £2,400 to The Arc Community Hub towards young person's social & life-skills support
• £3,000 to Love4Life towards young person’s social & life-skills support
• £3,000 to African Oasis towards Shelthorpe community garden & aquaponics project
• £1,500 to The Baldwin Trust towards canal boat communications system;
• £3,600 to Charnmac towards face to face debt counselling & support. £2,100 awarded through Community Grants and £1,500 from Cost of Living Grant
• £3,000 to Passion towards young person’s social & life-skills support
• £2,500 to Age Concern Syston towards information & social support for the elderly
• £2,500 to PACE towards mental health counselling
• £2,500 to Shepshed Toy Library towards healthy eating & recycling project for children

Six Community Facility Grants have also been awarded to local groups to improve the spaces they operate from.

The six Community Facility grants which have been awarded are:

• £3,409 to Anstey St Mary’s Parochial Church Council towards church rooms roof and heating refurbishment
• £2,500 to Barrow upon Soar Community Association towards ramp and railings for Library to comply with DDA regulations
• £8,700 to Burton on the Wolds Village Hall Renovations towards installation of new toilets and kitchen
• £5,000 Loughborough Lawn Tennis Club towards improving disability access
• £1,750 to Newtown Linford Tennis Club towards improving disability access
• £7,500 to South Croxton Village Hall towards improving community facility accessibility

The deadline to apply for the next round of Charnwood Community Grants is Friday, September 15, 2023. Applications open on Monday August 14 and organisations can apply via the Council’s online form.