South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 08/11/2012

Members of the council’s Communities Committee voted tonight (7 November) to approve a range of applications to the council’s Environment Grant scheme and Safer and Stronger & Communities Initiative Fund (SSCIF).

Applications included a bid from the Friends of Summer Field in Doynton for help to develop a community orchard and wildflower meadow for local residents living in and near Doynton.

The group was awarded £1,465 in recognition of the project’s contribution to promoting healthy lifestyles, developing local green spaces and conserving and enhance the local environment.

Successful bids to the SSCIF included a project to set up a Good Neighbour Scheme in the Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath areas. The project was awarded £1,500 in recognition of its benefits to the local community including improving the quality of life for residents and volunteers, and enhancing community engagement among all participants.

Among other projects to receive awards were the Kingswood Bus Project which provides a vital service addressing the social needs of young people in Kingswood, and the Staple Hill Regeneration Partnership. The Partnership covers the Pendennis Estate which has one of the highest numbers of residents claiming Job Seekers’ Allowance, and the award will improve employment opportunities for local young people.

Chair of the council’s Communities Committee Cllr Claire Young said: “As a council we are committed to involving residents in the life of their communities and to taking part in decisions that affect their quality of life and the local environment.

“In different ways, both of these grant schemes play an important in promoting such sustainable communities, and I am delighted to see so many inspiring and innovative projects among the successful applications.

“My congratulations to the applicants and I look forward to receiving an update on their progress.”

Funding through the Safer & Stronger Community Groups Initiative Fund is available to voluntary and community groups, and Town and Parish Councils, which are actively are actively engaged with South Gloucestershire’s Safer & Stronger Community Groups. Funding can be used for activities or projects that contribute to the achievement of the council’s corporate aim of promoting safer and stronger communities.

The council’s Environment Grant is available to friends groups and conservation groups, local interest groups, youth groups, voluntary and community associations and parish and town councils. Applications are assessed against criteria developed from priorities in the Council Plan, including conserving or enhancing open spaces and countryside, protecting biodiversity and promoting low-carbon, sustainable lifestyles.

Further information on both grant schemes is available from www.southglos.gov.uk.