Over £30k in grants for communities from Hinkley Point C funding

5 April 2019

Local community groups and organisations have benefited to the tune of over £30,000 from the seventh and eighth rounds of grants recently awarded from the Hinkley Point C Community Fund Small Grants Programme, managed by Somerset Community Foundation (SCF).

The grants fund community projects that mitigate the impacts and increase the opportunities of the Hinkley Point C project. Charities, voluntary groups or social enterprises that normally operate on less than £100,000 a year are encouraged to apply.

The groups* to benefit from the latest grant funding and a summary of their projects are:

• Dunster Memorial Hall: Refurbishment works, to include a new storage space and staircase at Dunster Memorial Hall Museum, freeing up room for extra community space: £5,000 grant.
• Holford Cricket Club: Funding to improve the security of the club and village hall by purchasing a storage container for cricket equipment and sensory lighting. £5,000 grant.
• Inland Waterways Association (West Country Branch): A contribution towards the cost of equipment and consumables so that the group can continue to deliver regular volunteer litter-picking and environmental works along the waterways in between Bridgwater and Taunton: £2,000 grant.
• Marina Sydenham Juvenile Carnival Club: Renovation works for a cart building shed in Sydenham to improve the work space, encourage new members to join and enable more young people to learn practical skills: £5,000 grant.
• Phoenix Scout Group: Camping equipment to expand the range of activities this new Bridgwater group can offer its young members: £4,500 grant.
• The Hub at Bridgwater: Audio-visual equipment for The Hub, that will enable user groups to improve the services and training they can provide to the local community at The Hub: £2,836 grant.
• Walton Parish Council: Beautification and environmental improvement works along the High Street in order to mitigate the increased HGV traffic and improve community well-being: £3,190 grant.
• Wembdon Art Group: Funding to purchase two display boards that the group can use for a planned exhibition, involving children from the Primary School in Wembdon. After the exhibition, the group will continue to use the display boards for future events: £400 grant.

 *A total of £3,800 has also been agreed to one other group but not yet paid.

Pat Robinson, Treasurer at Inland Waterways Association, said: “The branch is delighted to receive this grant from the HPC Community Fund. It will enable our volunteers to continue to keep our waterways in good condition which will benefit the whole of the community.”

Further information regarding the Hinkley Point C Community Fund Small Grants Programme and how to apply for a grant can be found at: www.hpcfunds.co.uk or you can get in touch with Luke Mitchell, Programmes Manager at Somerset Community Foundation by email: luke.mitchell@somersetcf.org.uk or you can call him on: 01749 344949.

If you run a local community project and would like to find out more about grant funding in general, please call Somerset Community Foundation on: 01749 344949 or visit: www.somersetcf.org.uk.