Grants

Bulwark Road Gets £30,000

Posted by Andrew Wallis on 7:50 Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Posted in: Bulwark, Funding, Grants. 2 comments

Two years of hard work by the Residents and Friends of Bulwark has finally paid off with the award (subject to a contract) of £30,000 to rebuild the children’s play park. This will be added to the £7,000 already raised by the group. At times I thought we would never get this money, especially after so many grant applications were rejected.

The current state of the play park

The £30,000 has been awarded by the  SITA Trust. When I received the call just over two weeks ago I could not believe it. In fact if I had been told in person I would have given a massive embrace to say thank you. And it is one very big thank you. Even though other organisations like the Downsland Trust and Helston TC have been generous with funding,  it is without doubt, the project would not have any chance of being built without the money from SITA Trust.

I told the Residents and Friends of Bulwark Committee on Monday night at their monthly meeting. At first, I am not sure they believed me, but once they realised I was indeed saying we got £30k they were smiling like a Cheshire cats.

I am really proud of them because the group has come a long way in two years. It has not been easy, but it just goes to show when people and different agencies get together, a change for the better can really happen.

Well done Bulwark (and Friends).

My Councillors Community Grant Fund

Posted by Andrew Wallis on 8:30 Friday, January 27, 2012
Posted in: Funding, Goresdh, Grants, Helston, Porthleven. Leave a Comment

Each Cornwall Councillor has £2195 to spend each year on community projects/groups. It is not a huge amount of money, but it can, and does make a difference to those who receive it. Unlike many other forms of grant application this process is rather simple, and a group/organisation only has to fill in an easy to fill in form.

The way I tend to administer this fund is to give smaller grants instead of a few large ones. I feel this is the best way to help more people with the limited money available. One of the only stipulations I have in applying is a group or organisation has to have a connection to the area I represent. I know there are many great national and county-wide projects that need funding, but I believe the money should be spent locally to the benefit of the community.

So far, grants have been awarded to the following groups/organisations.

  • Citizenship for Life program – photo-frames for the young people’s certificates: Cost £119.88
  • Porthleven Residents Association – Start-up costs: £200
  • Friends and Residents of Bulwark Group (resident Association) – Running costs: £250
  • Helston’s Gorsedh Kernow 2011 – Toilet Hire: Costs £180
  • Helston Skate Day – Event costs: £200
  • International Schools Theatre Assoc ISTA Porthleven Festival – Sponsorship for two Porthleven primary children to attend: Costs £150
  • National Coastwatch Institution – New sign for tide times and weather information: Costs £200
  • Porthleven Food and Music Festival – Event costs, equipment hire: Costs £300
  • Porthleven Judo Kwai – New suits for children: Costs £250.76
  • Porthleven WI – Jam and Jerusalem – Jam making machine, jam jars and lids etc: Costs £250
  • Porthleven/Guisseny Twinning Association – Running costs: £250
  • Helston Youth Cafe – Event/running costs: £150

As you can see, a lot of organisations/groups have had small but important grants. I still have a little money left, so if you would like to apply drop me an email/phone call and I will send you the forms. If there is not enough to go around this financial year, I will get another £2195 from the 1st April 2012.

Helping Groups

Posted by Andrew Wallis on 16:11 Friday, March 26, 2010
Posted in: Grants, Me. 2 comments

Some of you may know that each Cornwall Councillor gets a small grant allowance of £2195 to help local groups with a little bit of funding. To these groups that receive this money it means a great deal to them as otherwise it would take them a lot of fund raising to get a similar figure.

I wish I had more money to give out, but sadly not. At least something is better than nothing. Up to March 31st 2010 I have managed to help the following groups with a small Grant.

  •  Porthleven Lights – £250
  • 1st Guides Porthleven  – £300
  • Porthleven Bowling Club – £250
  • Porthleven Youth Football Club – £220
  • Food and Music Festival, Porthleven – £400
  • Public & WI Hall Porthleven £250
  • Porthleven Gig Club – £500
  • Weeth Farm Tree Nursery (Transition Helston) – £150

I will be getting another £2195 from the 1st April 2010 to help out other worthy groups. If you would like to apply for this Grant for your Group, then please contact me.

Funding

Posted by Andrew Wallis on 6:53 Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Posted in: Cornwall Council, Grants, Highways. Leave a Comment

It was not all doom and gloom from this years Budget. Two items that I wholeheartedly welcome is the renewal of the Community Chest Grant of £2195 to each councillor and a local highways grant.

Previously under the old Cornwall County Council each member was given roughly £10k for small Highways improvements in their areas. Up to now this had not been budgeted into the Cornwall Council Budget. The good news is that from yesterday’s acceptance of the Budget; £1 million is being made available to the local Members. This equates to roughly £8,130 for each Member from the 1st April 2010.

It does not seem a lot of money as any highways project, even the small ones, costs a huge amount. I say, £8k is better than nothing. The Cabinet Member for Highways has indicated that you will be allowed to roll over the amount to the next financial year. Again, another positive

I can’t say for definite where I will be spending this money, but I have always said and campaign that there needs to be some sort of Pedestrian Crossing or Island between the Fairground Carpark and the Boating Lake in Helston. I will be investigating the feasibility of one of the schemes over the coming months.

The Community Chest Grant allows me to help organisations with a small grant. This year I have tried to help as many of the small clubs in my Division. Again, I welcome this inclusion into the Budget. Hopefully soon we will be having a review to ‘simplify’ the application forms as I have to say they are way too bureaucratic and desperately need to be simplified.