Community Groups Could Receive A Share of £20,000.

Community groups, sports clubs and project organisers from the Yeovil area are being urged to find out how they could receive a share of a funding pot of around £20,000 from South Somerset District Council.

Grants of up to £12,500 are currently available from the district council’s Area South Development team for projects that benefit residents living in and around Yeovil - including Hardington Mandeville, Barwick, Odcombe, East Coker and West Coker.

Ivel Barbarians were able to take on a new junior coach thanks to a £1000 grant from the fund earlier this year, Odcombe Football Club gained new goal posts and Yeovil Sequence Dance club were able to continue dancing - with a total of £11,000 already allocated from the fund this year.

Natalie Ross, Community Development Officer at South Somerset District Council explains, “There are so many exciting possibilities to really help improve the local area - all we need now is for people to come forward so that they can put this year’s remaining funding to excellent use.

“It could be a youth initiative or facility, an improvement to a community building or equipment, help to start up a new group or project, a local heritage scheme - in fact, almost anything that benefits the local community so long as it meets a clearly identified local need.

Groups can apply for an Area Grants information pack from South Somerset District Council by contacting Lynne Ashton on 01935 462723 or lynne.ashton@southsomerset.gov.uk .

Cllr Tony Fife, South Somerset District Council’s Area South Chairman says, “These grants are available for the community and they should be taken up while they are available - in this climate we can’t guarantee they’ll always be on offer to the same extent.

“This is about getting local people to come up with the things that they want to see improved. We want to be involved in helping the community to make the improvements that the residents themselves will benefit from.

“So - what better way than to encourage people to come forward to find out about the support we can offer to help them make a real difference.”

The fund can grant up to 50% of the total project costs.
 

Read about how Yeovil residents decided to spend £40,000 of community funds, made available by South Somerset District Council in the new magazine for Yeovil - VISION