Community groups in Eastwood and Kimberley urged to apply for new funding

Nottinghamshire County Council’s new Local Communities Fund (LCF) is now open for applications.
Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the Communities Committee.Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the Communities Committee.
Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the Communities Committee.

Community groups and charities are being encouraged to apply for funding as part of the latest drive to encourage healthy and thriving communities as the county continues its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the Local Improvement Scheme coming to an end, the LCF application process aims to be even more accessible for organisations and groups seeking financial support to deliver projects.

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Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the county council’s Communities Committee, says the scheme will provide a vital boost to organisations which gave much-needed support to people during the pandemic.

He said: “Nottinghamshire County Council is rightly proud of the work charities and organisations have carried out in their communities, especially at the height of the pandemic when they provided a crucial lifeline to people struggling with the effects of various lockdowns.

“Therefore, with that in mind, we have launched the new Local Communities Fund to make it easier for these fantastic groups to access the support they need to continue their work to encourage healthy and thriving communities.”

Eligible organisations can apply at any time for capital grants of up to £20,000 to spend on making improvements to facilities that help improve health and wellbeing, as well as projects with an environmental focus.

These include:

Improvements to sporting facilities;

Play areas and/or equipment;

Green/horticultural improvements to open spaces;

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Heritage improvements, signposts and information boards to improve the visitor experience.

Revenue schemes to help projects with their running costs are also available (no maximum amount). Applications from a range of projects are welcomed, including:

Projects that tackle digital exclusion, good neighbourhood schemes, dementia-friendly communities, food/lunch clubs etc;

Encouraging local networks where people help themselves and each other to be resilient, neighbourly and safe;

Increasing volunteering opportunities;

Addressing climate and environmental change;

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Improving access to existing community-based services (e.g. advice and signposting), for the most vulnerable residents.

Community organisations and groups can apply at any time for a small revenue grant up to £5,000, while organisations applying for a large revenue grant (more than £5,000) must be received by 31 December 2021 and must have a good track record of delivery.

Cllr Cottee added: “The new fund will build on the excellent work carried out as part of the Local Improvement Scheme and I would encourage any group, charity or sports club which is looking to enhance access to new or existing services which improve physical and mental health and reduce loneliness, particularly for more vulnerable residents, to apply.

“Once again we want to invest in capital projects with full match-funding already in place, so they are ‘ready to go’ to make best use of these funds.

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“And to ensure that applications are on the right lines, we are asking groups interested in capital grants to send in their initial ideas before making a formal application, so we can feedback sooner on these project ideas.

“The aim is to save groups time in the long run.

“And similar to the former LIS scheme, it’s essential to seek support from your local county councillor before making an application for either a capital or revenue grant.”

For more information about the Local Communities Fund and for details about how to apply for revenue funding or to submit an expression of interest for capital funding, go to www.nottscc.gov.uk/LCF.

Applications for LCF Talented Athletes funding will be invited later this year.