Local community groups in the Harrogate district were delighted this week to hear their applications for grants from THE LOCAL FUND for the Harrogate District had been successful. Just over £45,000 was allocated to enable local organisations to restart activities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
All the groups have worked throughout the last year, many of them adapting their services to meet the needs of the people they support. This funding enables them to take the next important step.
Successful groups include Boroughbridge and District Community Care who are using their grant to fund the running costs of providing a new minibus service to a farm shop creating regular social activity and purpose for disadvantaged adults who have found themselves very isolated in the last year.
Harrogate District of Sanctuary are using their grant to support refugees and asylum seeks in the area including hiring rooms, employing interpreters, have emergency clothing and furniture, providing children’s activities and creating social events.
Having provided a food delivery service during the pandemic, Resurrected Bites are setting up community grocery services in areas of high need in Harrogate and Knaresborough, offering affordable and nutritious food to those people in need.
Nidderdale & Pately Bridge Men’s Shed is all about improving the mental health and wellbeing of men in rural Nidderdale, addressing isolation and exclusion. Spending money on power tools will ensure the much-enjoyed space is well resourced and continues to be well used.
The full list of grants awarded follows, but all the successful groups are passionate about reducing inequalities, improving wellbeing and providing a lifeline of activity to local people in the Harrogate district.
THE LOCAL FUND for the Harrogate District was established in 2017 to provide grant funding to local community groups and charities across the district. It is supported by a partnership of Harrogate Borough Council, Harrogate & District Community Action and Two Ridings Community Foundation focusing on addressing local need by supporting the work of community groups and charities that improves the lives of local people.
This is the third round of THE LOCAL FUND for the Harrogate District in 2021 and we very grateful that the pot available for grants has been supported generously from local business Full Circle Funerals and their Full Circle Fund and contributions from supporters of THE LOCAL LOTTO.
THE LOCAL LOTTO is a great fundraising opportunity for local voluntary and community groups, which enables Harrogate district residents to support the local organisations they care about most. Money raised through THE LOCAL LOTTO contributes greatly towards keeping the community sector thriving across the district.
Jan Garrill, Chief Executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation said:
Thanks to Harrogate Borough Council and local supporters like Full Circle Funerals, I am so pleased we could fund 19 projects in this latest grants round of THE LOCAL FUND for the Harrogate District. All the projects funded are working so hard to help local people safely reconnect, get active and be social again, whatever their circumstances.
I’d urge anyone wanting to make a real difference in their community to get involved by donating to THE LOCAL FUND or making the most of our current match funding opportunity.
Designed to encourage local giving, THE LOCAL FUND gives a long-term source of funding support and encouragement to the work of community organisations, regardless of size, tackling a wide range social issues.
For the next 12 months, having secured a generous £200k endowment fund from Harrogate Borough Council, matching any donation made to THE LOCAL FUND, in effect doubling any investment.
Councillor Sam Gibbs, chair of Harrogate Borough Council’s voluntary and community sector liaison group and LOCAL FUND grants panel member, said:
THE LOCAL FUND provides continuous support for our local voluntary and community sector organisations and charities across the Harrogate district and the residents they support.
It has been another incredibly tough year for them. And now, more than ever, it is critical these charities receive vital funds to ensure they can restart their activities and continue supporting as many people as possible.
Groups supported by THE LOCAL FUND – July 2021
| Group Name | Project Description – Summary | Awarded |
| Boroughbridge and District Community care | Funding for running costs and volunteer costs to provide a mini bus service to Farm shop café for disadvantage adults living in isolation for an initial 10 weeks. |
£3,000.00 |
| Fitmums and friends | Funding for venue hire, training and marketing costs to enable Fitmums to continue running sessions that provide fun and life changing exercise to local people in the Harrogate area. |
£2,510.00 |
| Harrogate & District Community Action | Funding to cover cost of a sessional leader and room hire for a six month of weekly activities and social outings enabling older people the opportunity to re-stablish their face-to-face social connections. Also towards purchasing traditional games |
£2,840.00 |
| Harrogate District of Sanctuary | Funding for Hire of premises rooms for meetings, social event to help integration and provide support for refuges and asylum seekers in the Harrogate district. |
£3,000.00 |
| Lifeline Harrogate Ltd | Funding to provide fresh fruit and vegetable boxes over 12 months, to accommodation housing the homeless. The project aims to provide residents with a regular supply of fresh healthy food and help educate them on healthy lifestyles through monthly cooking sessions. |
£1,300.00 |
| Nidderdale & Pateley Bridge Men’s Shed C.I.O. | Funding for power tools for a popular Men’s Shed to reduce inequalities and improve metal health and wellbeing of local residents accessing the service. |
£1,000.00 |
| Open Country | Running costs for accessible walking group |
£2,877.00 |
| Supporting Older People CIO | Funding for venue hire, staff and PPE costs to continue running Music and movement group aimed at older people in the local area to improve mental health and wellbeing. |
£2,913.00 |
| Wellspring Therapy & Training | Helping to develop capacity to deliver face-to-face/online counselling sessions and Suicide prevention support projects for young people aged 14 to18-year olds. In turn helping young people to develop their self-worth; manage stress and anxiety and build helpful relationships. |
£3,000.00 |
| Artizan International | Funding for mosaic supplies, transport to the schools for differently-able participants, a workshop leader and staff time, to provide free six-week mosaic courses in two primary schools which differently-able people help to lead, inspire social interaction, art and creativity, and change attitudes towards people with disabilities. |
£2,961.00 |
| Autism Angels | Funding to host ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ outdoor sessions for children who struggle to attend school full time, those who have been excluded and those who do not have an appropriate school placement. The sessions are important to develop and maintain the skills and wellbeing so children feel confident on their return to school. |
£3,000.00 |
| Blind Jack Explorer Scout Unit | Funding for equipment to support monthly outside activities that encourage positive mental health and physical development of the young people. |
£2,276.00 |
| Dancing for Well Being | Funding for help with venue costs to run 3 Dancing for Well-Being groups. The funding will help cover the shortfall in income having being hit by the pandemic. |
£2,002.00 |
| Emerging Voices | Fund for an accessible community choir for adults experiencing mental ill health giving participants the opportunities to socialise alongside the physical and psychological benefits of singing individually and as a group. |
£3,000.00 |
| Resurrected Bites Community Interest Company | Funding for a Grocery Manager for 3 months to provide a service of affordable grocery shopping for people on low income, in key areas of high need in Harrogate and Knaresborough |
£3,000.00 |
| St. Andrew’s Church, Burnt Yates | Funding for purchase of necessary equipment/tools, staff training and ongoing staff costs to facilitate Forest School activities for local community members. |
£1,171.00 |
| Pannal Ash Junior Football Club | This popular club promote the sport of football amongst the children and young people of Harrogate/surrounding district.Funding to purchase a tractor mower to enable the club to cut their own grass and replace the clubs paying for grass cutting from an external provider. Equipment would cover its own cost in a year. |
£3,000.00 |
| Pannal Memorial Institute aka Pannal Village Hall | The Village Hall hires out rooms to the local community groups in the area at low prices Funding will cover the total cost of purchasing a commercial floor cleaner as opposed to the time consuming mop and bucket method of cleaning their two floors. |
£2,700.00 |
| Pannal Sports Junior Football Club | Funding for the Purchase online and delivery of 2 pairs of goal which will allow the club to accommodate more children training and playing matches. |
£1,281.00 |
| Total distributed |
£46,831.00 |
