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Mansfield groups have backed a council communities fund after benefiting from the scheme.

It comes as Nottinghamshire Council brings its local improvement scheme to an end – with groups now urged to apply for money from its successor, the local communities fund.

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 pandemic.

Coun John Cottee, council communities committee chairman, said the scheme will provide a vital boost to organisations which supported people during the pandemic.

Pictured at the official opening of the St Paulinus Community Garden are, from left, Coun Mike Pringle, county councillor for OIlerton, the Reverend Richard Hanford, Priest-in-charge of the Parish of Ollerton with Boughton, John Pearson, who co-ordinated the garden project, and Coun Tom Smith, Nottinghamshire Council communities committee vice-chairman.

Eligible organisations can apply for capital grants of up to £20,000 to spend on improving facilities which help improve health and wellbeing, as well as projects with an environmental focus.

Coun Cottee said: “I encourage any group, charity or sports club looking to enhance access to new or existing services, particularly for more vulnerable residents, to apply.

“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.

“We are asking groups to send in their initial ideas before making a formal application, so we can feedback sooner on these ideas.”

Pictured, from left, are Sharon Cox-Smith, Mansfield Lawn Tennis Club chairman, Coun Anne Callaghan, Nottinghamshire Council member for Mansfield North, Coun John Cottee, council communities committee chairman, and Simon Ramsey, club secretary.

Mansfield Lawn Tennis Club has twice been the recipient of LIS funding, receiving £50,000 towards a new clubhouse in 2018 and, earlier this year, being awarded a £6,207 grant to help with a project to introduce an online booking system.

Sharon Cox-Smith, club chairman, said: “With us having limited funds after building the clubhouse, securing funding was essential.”

Another beneficiary of LIS funding was John Pearson, who led a small team of dedicated volunteers to create a new community garden at St Paulinus’ Church, New Ollerton.

His group received £1,700 towards the project, which, he said, was ‘critical’ in helping create a green space ‘desperately needed’ in the town.

He said: “The LIS scheme and the funding we received have been instrumental in allowing our small group of volunteers to fulfil our vision of creating a safe, environmentally-friendly natural green space within the town for people of all abilities to visit, wander the pathways, to sit and enjoy the peace or indeed to join us as a volunteer in helping maintain and improve with the garden’s ongoing development.”

See nottscc.gov.uk/LCF

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Mansfield sports club backs council funding scheme

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