Vital Mansfield projects share thousands of pounds worth of grants

A total of 20 schemes have been awarded up to £15,000 each after 34 applications were received for a slice of the £2.955 million UK Shared Prosperity funding.

Successful projects were selected on three themes – communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

Andy Abrahams, Mansfield mayor, said: “Many of the successful projects come from our community champions who have been doing great work for years and really know what is needed to help their communities.”

There are two routes for which businesses, community groups and people could apply for the Mansfield Council allocation of the UKSP funding.

The 20 projects announced this week – two organisations were awards two grants for different projects – have been successful through the Mansfield Community Grant Fund strand of the scheme, organised through Mansfield Community & Voluntary Service for projects up to £15,000.

The second route is through the Mansfield UKSPF communities and place for projects of more than £15,000, with successful bids to this strand to be announced in due course.

Vanessa Whitton, Mansfield CVS chief executive officer, said: “We are thrilled so many local organisations have benefited from the funding.

“As Mansfield’s leading infrastructure organisation, supporting the local voluntary and community sector to obtain funding such as this, is one of our core objectives.”

The successful shortlist includes:

Cruse Bereavement Support – £14,256 to recruit and train bereavement volunteers;

Family Action – £15,000 to fund six food clubs;

Friends of Bellamy – £3,000 for events, get togethers, trips;

Friends of Ladybrook Park – £15,000 for play equipment;

Friends of Manor Park – £15,000 for the installation of outdoor gym equipment;

Kingsway Hall, Forest Town – £20,795 to continue the growth of the weekly lunch club and for room hire for benefits advice;

Kool Kids – £15,000 to replace and buy new equipment;

Ladybrook Enterprises – £15,000 to support individuals to understand financial wellbeing;

Homestart Mansfield – £3,500 to support individuals to understand financial wellbeing;

Let’s All Eat CIC – £11,000 for project worker cots/venue hire;

Mansfield Mechanics Institute, Forest Town – £4,843.78 to replace and buy new equipment;

Maun Refuge – £30,000 for extending and embedding the current project "settling into Mansfield" and to train staff and continue its work;

St John Ambulance – £2,000 to continue the current volunteer training programme;

St John’s Centre – £15,000 to open a community café;

Salvation Army – £2,600 to extend the food bank;

SHE UK – £12,620 to continue drug, alcohol and telephone services;

Spectrum WASP – £15,000 for cooking classes;

Ten Fifty – £12,000 to create more events;

The Peaceful Trust – £2,500 to expand current provision at memory café.

The UKSPF is part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda, providing funding for local investment across the UK until March 2025. It aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and places, supporting local businesses, people, and skills.