District councillors in South Oxfordshire have £180,000 to help benefit local communities across the district.
Each of the 36 district councillors in South Oxfordshire has a budget of £5,000 as part of the councillor grants scheme to help fund projects in their ward areas.
The individual councillor grants scheme has recently opened and is available to local ‘not for profit’ organisations (including parish councils) whose work benefits local residents. This funding is ideal for projects which are relatively low cost (between £500 and £5,000) and are expected to be completed within a year.
This is the third year the scheme has run and previous projects which received funding include:
- An outdoor gym in Ewelme,
- A ‘walking rugby’ scheme for older residents in Didcot
- New goalposts in Henley
- Support for accessible boat trips for wheelchair users in Wallingford
- Money towards a wildflower meadow in Benson
- A senior citizen Christmas lunch in Thame
- A free children’s play and activity day in Wheatley and Holton
- Repair and reuse workshops in Didcot
- The Wallingford Carnival
- Defibrillators in Maidensgrove, Pishill and Stonor
- Theatre roof repairs in Thame
- Energy efficient lighting in Chinnor
To make an application, groups should get in touch with their local councillor as soon as possible and submit online via the council’s website. For more information and to view the grant scheme’s guidelines visit southoxon.gov.uk/grants.
Cllr Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Cabinet Member for Grants at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “This is a great opportunity for communities to carry out those projects which seem small but can be hugely beneficial for local people.
“This funding is available now, so please speak with your local district councillor and make sure you submit your application well before the January deadline.
“I would urge people to get in touch with our officers at the council, who work very hard to help applicants through the grants process and help make sure so the funding is fully utilised to meet local need.”
Notes for editors:
Councillors are expected to make their decision on whether to award funding to a project within four to six weeks of receiving an application. Successful projects must be completed within one year of being awarded funding.
