Harrogate Borough Council has £51,000 of funding available for the district’s voluntary organisations, charities and community groups to help them develop new arts, culture, heritage and community projects.
The small grants scheme, which is now open to applications, provides grants of up to £3,000 per project for activities commencing mid-September onwards. Interested organisations have until 12 noon on Thursday 16 July 2015 to apply.
The purpose of the grant fund is to strengthen small voluntary organisations, charities and community groups by offering financial assistance for projects which will benefit local communities within the whole district, increase participation and engagement, and supporting new and innovative ideas.
The small grants scheme is replacing the council’s Community Chest and Arts and Heritage grants funds, which have proven to be a huge success over the last 7 years, providing £306,000 of funding for over 185 projects.
Last year, twenty six organisations benefited from Harrogate Borough Council’s Community Chest and Arts and Heritage grants including the Friends of Nidderdale AONB; Bilton & Woodfield Community Library; Harrogate Competitive Festival For Music, Speech and Drama; and the Masham Town Hall Community Charity.
Councillor Stanley Lumley, Cabinet Member for Culture and Sports said:
The small grants scheme is a fantastic means of helping local groups turn their ideas into reality. We are always keen to support community inspired activity which add value to the community and encourages participation, and it always pleasing to see how a small investment from the council can help make a big difference for local people.
So many different types of groups have benefited from this funding stream over the years, such as sporting clubs, theatre societies, cultural festivals, libraries, local charities and horticultural groups. If you represent such a group and feel that you have a project which will enrich the local community then we would encourage you to apply.
Anyone interested in applying can find full details and an application form at www.harrogate.gov.uk/communitygrants. Alternatively, they can call Fiona Friday at Harrogate Borough Council on 01423 500600 (ext 56068) or email at SmallGrants@harrogate.gov.uk
