East Suffolk Council
Further funding to benefit community groups
Voluntary and community groups in Framlingham, Wickham Market and the surrounding villages are to receive a boost as the local Community Partnership opens for another round of funding.
The Framlingham, Wickham Market and Villages Community Partnership launched its Small Grant Scheme in April 2021 and a third round has opened today (Thursday 3 February) to enable local voluntary and community groups to apply for much-needed funding.
The scheme is aimed at developing opportunities for young people and reducing social isolation and loneliness, which are two of the key priorities identified by the Partnership.
Funding is available for projects which address these priorities and could include; delivering activities for young residents (centred around life skills, fun and leisure) and older residents (centred around health, wellbeing and improving quality of life/ageing well), creating new mobile facilities and enhancing existing services which benefit the wider communities, supporting and developing better sharing of information and resources around existing services/provisions with schools, residents, community groups and local businesses and supporting the enhancement and creating of outdoor spaces and local community facilities.
Cllr Carol Poulter, Chair of the Partnership said: “Many groups within these communities have already benefitted from this scheme and I am pleased to launch a new funding round to enable further voluntary and community groups to deliver activities and projects which will enhance the lives of local residents.”
The scheme, which will be open for applications from 3 February until 7 March 2022, will offer grants of between £250 and £3,000.
This round of funding is now closed.
What are Community Partnerships?
During the consultation on forming the new East Suffolk Council, a challenge was identified around the decreased number of councillors covering larger geographical areas, more town and parish councils, more people, and staying connected to local residents.
As a result, the East Suffolk Community Partnerships were established through a programme of stakeholder workshops in October and November 2019 as an innovative new way for the council, partners, and communities to work together to ‘bring ideas to life’ by taking a solution focused approach to local priorities.
There are eight Community Partnerships, based on natural grouping of communities, using the new East Suffolk Council ward boundaries as the ‘building blocks’:
- Aldeburgh, Leiston, Saxmundham and villages
- Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth and villages
- Carlton, Colville, Kessingland, Southwold and villages
- Felixstowe Peninsula
- Framlingham, Wickham Market and villages
- Kesgrave, Rushmere St Andrew, Martlesham, Carlford and Fynn Valley Community Partnership Lowestoft and northern parishes
- Melton, Woodbridge and Deben Peninsula