New Forest community groups given £207K in Council grants
The latest round of support from the District authority has been confirmed
New Forest District Council asked not-for-profit and voluntary groups across the area to come forward before Christmas to apply for support.
The authority's Cabinet has now approved grants worth a total of £207,300 for successful applications.
They include:
- £12,500 for the New Forest Disability Information Service, which supports people with a range of disabilities in the District. The group's suffered a loss in income during the pandemic with the Council supporting them as they say they 'provide an essential service'
- £35,000 for Community First Wessex, to support the voluntary sector through the pandemic, and adapting their services to cope
- There's also an additional £2,500 for Community First Wessex towards their Healthy Walks scheme, which helps to promote health and wellbeing, befriending and reduces isolation
- Forest Forge Theatre, based in Ringwood, gets two lots of cash - £19,000 to keep providing creative learning activities for local young people, taking sessions online while schools aren't fully open - with another £10,000 going towards replacing windows at their base, for energy efficiency and aesthetic reasons
- £23,500 goes to the Fordingbridge and District Community Association, to make building repairs to the Avonway Community Centre in the town (pictured above) - fixing the leaking roof and removed some redundant chimney stacks
Councillor Diane Andrews, Portfolio Holder for Community Affairs, said:
"This year it has been an unusual process, interviewing applicants virtually. These grants are of even greater importance to our community, as these valued organisations have also had to adapt their services to meet increased need within the constraints of the pandemic.
"I am pleased at the diversity of the grants awarded. They have covered all areas of the New Forest and included the arts, sport, mental health, people with disabilities, young people and families, schools and charities. They provide a wide range of support for our residents' physical and mental wellbeing and in every way support the aims of our Corporate Plan."
The grants will now be written in to the New Forest District Council budget for 2021/22, which is due to be discussed at a Full Council meeting of Thursday 25th February.