Published: Wednesday, 2nd August 2023
A new round of small community grants has been confirmed for this year, with each councillor having up to £1,000 to support local activities in their ward.
Cabinet yesterday, Tuesday 1 August, decided to continue with the Councillor community grants launched two years ago. The grants, totalling £55,000, are designed to support grass-roots activities and groups in individual wards.
Leader of the borough council, Cllr Terry Parish, said:
“These grants give each of our borough councillors the ability to make a difference in their wards.
“In a large and rural borough, our communities face a range of challenges in accessing and delivering services or activities. This scheme is designed to help with that. It gives our communities the ability to apply for small grants that help to make a difference at a very local level.”
Heacham Heritage exhibition took place on Sunday 30 July, the organisers received £300 to support the event from the previous small community grants. Cllr Parish added:
“There was a diverse amount of material made available which obviously greatly interested visitors to the event. I was particularly taken by the information on the Heacham brick kiln in operation for over 100 years before its demise in the second decade of the 20th Century.
“I am glad that a contribution from my councillor fund helped material to be laminated and displayed in a more effective and sustainable way. Thank you to all the volunteers and, particularly, to Pat Diggins for making this event a success.”
Grants of £50-£1,000 can be awarded, so a councillor may make a single award of £1,000 or several smaller ones. Where a ward has multiple councillors, they can also work with other councillors to pool their allocation.
Applications open on 7 August and must be made by 31 March 2024. Groups wishing to apply can visit https://www.west-norfolk.gov.uk/cllr-grant-scheme.
Please note this link will not become live until 7 August.