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£18,750 Christmas boost for community projects – and that was just round 1!

This is about South Norfolk Council and the South Norfolk Alliance working in partnership, cutting through bureaucracy and getting involved at a local level to make a difference. I am pleased to see projects supported across the district.
Councillor Martin Wilby, Deputy Leader of South Norfolk Council

Five new Neighbourhood Forums in Norfolk have awarded almost £19,000 to 12 community projects.

The awards of small amounts - £2,000 or less – will make a big difference to community groups who met the council’s criteria.

Now, thanks to the Forums set up by South Norfolk Council:

- a nursery in Mulbarton will get money towards a storage shed

- a village centre can upgrade its kitchen

- school pupils will have funding for an anti plastic bags campaign

- an amenity area will have its natural flora and fauna enhanced and made more freely accessible for wider, quiet enjoyment

In some cases the funding may be enough, but it is also meant to give projects just the boost they need to go after other money from elsewhere.

South Norfolk councillors are now urging other community groups to follow the lead of these groups, get in touch with them and come along to neighbourhood forum meetings.

There is a full list of the next meetings at the end of this release.

The Neighbourhood Forum Fund for all the forums across South Norfolk has a total budget of £138,000 for 2007/08.

This will be shared out between the five Forums, according to the number of residents in each neighbourhood area. Money not spent this year will be rolled over to next year.

Councillor Martin Wilby, Deputy Leader of South Norfolk Council, has been the champion of the Forums idea, and announced the initiative earlier this year.

He is delighted by the awards, and has promised many more to come.

He said:

“This is about South Norfolk Council and the South Norfolk Alliance working in partnership, cutting through bureaucracy and getting involved at a local level to make a difference. I am pleased to see projects supported across the district.

“I would urge local people to contact your District Councillor for details, come along to your Neighbourhood Forum and get involved - we are very approachable. ”

To apply for funding, local people should speak to their local Councillor because all projects must have their support and meet the district council’s agreed community priorities. The councillor will supply the applications form.

Local people can find details of their local councillor contacts on the council’s website, but Councillor contacts were also published in a double page spread in the Autumn edition of the council’s community magazine, the Link, which went to the district’s over 50,000 homes.

The full list of projects, which won support in Round 1, are:

Eastern River Valleys Neighbourhood Forum

£2,000 grant to Station 146 Tower Association at Seething, towards the costs of improving their electricity supply.

Northern River Valleys Neighbourhood Forum £800 grant to Puddleducks Nursery in Mulbarton towards the costs of a new storage shed for equipment.

£2,000 grant to Mulbarton Parish Council towards the costs of a youth shelter.

Tas Valley Neighbourhood Forum

£1,500 grant to Long Stratton Pre-school for staff training and purchase of equipment

£750 grant to Bunwell Scouts and Sports Hall for renovations to ensure safety compliance and increase accessibility

£1,500 grant to Bunwell Bunnies Playgroup for fencing and provision of a safe outside play area

£2,000 grant to Tasburgh Parish Council to enhance an amenity area and its accessibility

Waveney Valley Neighbourhood Forum

£1,900 grant to Dickleburgh Village Centre towards the costs of upgrading the kitchen.

£2,000 grant to Needham Coronation Village Hall towards the costs of extending the Hall and providing new toilets.

Wymondham and West Neighbourhood Forum

£563.93 grant to Ashwellthorpe Village Hall for portable tables.

£2,000 grant to Barford Playgroup towards the costs of buying a shed and building it on a concrete base.

£1,800 grant to Wymondham High School towards the costs of the pupils “Just Say No to Plastic” project.

Full details of how the council’s Neighbourhood Forums initiative works, the criteria for grant approvals, the Forum area maps and much more, please see the council’s website.

In the New Year, the Forums meet for Round 2. Here is a list of those meetings in date order – please note some of the venues have yet to be confirmed:

- Waveney Valley Forum, Thursday 10 January 2008 (7.30pm), Roydon Village Hall. Chairman Councillor Tony Palmer: 01379 640925

- Northern River Valleys Forum, Thursday 24 January 2008 (7.30pm), Cringleford Pavilion. Chairman Councillor Margaret Dewsbury: 01603 759693

- Tas Valley Forum, Wednesday 30 January 008 (7.30pm), South Norfolk Council, Long Stratton offices. Chairman Councillor Hedley Smith: 01953 789168.

- Eastern River Valleys Forum, Thursday 31 January 2008 (7.30pm), to be confirmed. Chairman Councillor Tony Game: 01508 518077

- Wymondham and West Forum, Friday 15 February 2008 (7.30pm), to be confirmed. Chairman Councillor Joe Mooney: 01953 604482

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