Westmorland and Furness Council’s Locality Board for South Lakeland has approved a series of grants to support a range of initiatives across the area.
At a recent meeting (29 January), members backed the recommendations of the Children and Young People Working group, providing a much-needed financial boost to community-based projects aimed at benefiting young people. These include an award of:
- £4,840 to Youth Presence to support transition from Year 6 to Year 7 for children in Kendal
- £4,970 to Family Matters to provide family counselling in Ulverston and the surrounding area
- £4,500 to Arnside Parish Council for playground equipment
- £3,370 to Youth Presence to provide an open access youth café in Kendal
- £4,430 to Our Place Youth Club in Ambleside to support running of the club
- £4,977 to Staveley with Ings Together to run a youth drop-in programme for local villages
Members also supported grants recently awarded by the Community and Equity Working Group to enable communities to reduce inequalities, build opportunity and achieve greater independence. These include an award of:
- £10,000 from the combined Community Planning (Growth Bid) and General Provisions allocations to Cumbria Community Foundation (Age Friendly Communities) towards a South Lakeland Age Friendly Coordinator
- £10,000 from the combined Community Planning (Growth Bid) and General Provisions allocations to Growing Well towards staffing costs
- £2,608 to Satterthwaite Village Hall towards an energy efficient programme
- £5,000 to Kirkby Lonsdale Football Club to make the toilets accessible
Grants recently awarded by the Climate Action and Increasing Biodiversity Working Group to support green projects across the locality were also agreed. These include an award of:
- £30,000 from the combined Community Planning (Growth Bid) and General Provisions allocations to Cumbria Wildlife Trust for the continuation of Planting for Pollinators with a focus on community and schools engagement
- £5,000 to Arnside Education Institute towards the installation of two electric vehicle charging points in the village
- £2,500 to Cumbria Action for Sustainability to provide micro grants for community organisations to participate in Great Big Green Week
In addition, support was also given by members to recently awarded Community Grants. These include an award of:
- £1,400 to Bouth Village Hall towards the cost of replacing guttering
- £1,300 to Ulverston Rangers Football Club towards the cost of new goal posts
- £2,000 to Friends of Cartmel Primary School to give pupils the opportunity to grow their own food
Councillor Suzanne Pender, new Chair of South Lakeland Locality Board, said:
“As a Locality Board, we believe it’s essential to use our available funding to strengthen and enhance communities throughout South Lakeland. The projects and initiatives backed by our Members Working Group highlight the diverse range of activities we support and the significant impact our funding can have across the area.
“However, we can only assist if we're aware of the community organisations that can benefit from our support. That’s why I encourage groups across South Lakeland to reach out to the Community Development Team to explore potential funding opportunities for their projects.”
Applications for the Community Grants, 0-19 Youth Grants, 11-19 Universal Services, Community and Equity, and Climate Action and Increasing Biodiversity are available.
For more information and an application pack, please contact the South Lakeland Community Development Team by emailing SouthLakeland.AreaSupport@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.