Community groups boosted by city council grants

Gloucester City Council showed its commitment to supporting the voluntary and community sector in 2021/22 with more than £27,000 in grants allocated.

A total of £27,617 was distributed to 47 different organisations, supporting the voluntary sector in their recovery from the Covid pandemic.

The grants are in keeping with the council’s policy of Asset Based Community Development, which supports communities to recognise their own strengths and be active in creating local solutions which meet the ambitions of local people.

Further funding has been provided to advice agencies including The Law Centre, Citizens Advice Bureau and Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS), all of whom provide advice and support to vulnerable people and communities.

Money is also awarded through the Councillor Community Fund, which enables councillors to support community-led projects within their own wards.

This has contributed to a range of projects, from improvements to community centres and community gardens, benefiting people during Covid, to play equipment and event support.

As well as these sources of funding, the Gloucester Lottery also helps to support new projects or enhance community-based activities. A number of new projects have been set up post-Covid aimed at bringing people together, such as football tournaments to encourage young people to be more active.

The grants provided have included:

·    £750 for Together in Matson, to put towards a number of health and wellbeing events and a reusable nappy project

·    £450 for Bizz Youth Project, for a camera for a youth photography project

·    £750 for Elmbridge Community Association to put towards a community garden project

The report is being put to the city council’s cabinet at a meeting on Wednesday 7 December and cabinet is being recommended to note the report and endorse the same approach for the coming year.

Cllr Raymond Padilla, cabinet member for communities and neighbourhoods, said: “Voluntary groups provide invaluable support for our residents and communities across the city, so I’m pleased we can help them with these grants.

“We will continue to work in partnership with them to enable new projects and activities to be set up and developed, providing new opportunities for people as well as helping with the post-Covid recovery.”

Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk