Mansfield mayor urges community groups and good causes to apply for funding

Applications for grants of up to £500 have opened for another round of awards in the Mayor’s 500 Fund, which will see him donate £7,500 to local community groups.

The amount is part of the total he donates annually to good causes from 30 per cent of his salary.The Robin Hood Community Fund (RHCF) is also considering bids of up to £2,000 for its community fund pot which currently stands at £8,500.Also available is £25,000 for local support groups from the council’s Covid-19 Community Response Fund (CRF) which has been re-launched.

This shares out grants of up to £2,000 on a first-come-first-served basis until all the pot is spent.

The Mayor’s 500 Fund supports local groups, individuals and volunteers to deliver a specific project for the benefit of the Mansfield community.

Among the causes the mayor has already helped this year are Warsop Athletic Football Club and Ida’s Dreams, a Mansfield-based organisation that brings comfort to grieving families by turning a child's clothes into memory items.

Coun Abrahams said: “This year has been such a difficult year for so many charities and voluntary organisations.

"I urge groups to make their applications as soon as possible so we can get this vital financial assistance out there without delay."

The deadline for applications to the Mayor's 500 Fund and the RHCF is the end of December.Details about the Mayor's fund and applications can be made here and the RHCF here.

The CRF aims to help those affected by physical or mental ill health, isolation, loneliness, food insecurity, fuel poverty and problems such as debt and financial insecurity, as a result of the pandemic.

Bids from voluntary groups, organisations and charities must demonstrate they meet the criteria under two themes: proactive and resilience and applications can be made here.