FIVE projects across Rother are set to receive a cash boost thanks to generous grants from the council’s Community Grants Fund.

Rother District Council has awarded over £65,000 to local community groups and organisations across the district in the first round of this year’s funding.

All the successful projects will enhance the lives of local residents.

Fairlight Parish Council will receive a grant of over £5,000 for new playground equipment and appropriate safety matting for younger and less able children. The new facilities will be more inclusive for the under 5’s and less able children and will include a wheelchair accessible train.

Brede Parish Council’s grant of £11,000 will help fund a new piece of multi-purpose play equipment, the Captain Mannering wooden play tower, for the recreation ground.

This is the second phase of the Parish Council’s plans to upgrade the village’s play equipment following the installation of swings last year which were also partly funded by a Rother District Council Community Grant.

The council agreed an award of £10,500 to Northiam Village Hall which will part fund the conversion of an existing storage area into a meeting room. The new meeting space will have its own accessible entrance and provide much needed additional meeting facilities for local community groups and societies.

A grant of £8,875 will help Rye Harbour Sailability with their plans to purchase a stable adapted dinghy to enable people with disabilities to sail at Rye Harbour. The charity is run entirely by volunteers who give up their time and share their skills to run Sailability sailing days once or twice a month from April to October.

In 2021 Winchelsea Beach Community Association was granted planning permission for a single floor extension to the front of the Community Hall, and their grant of £30,000 will part fund this project.

Cllr Susan Prochak MBE, Chair of the Community Grants Panel, said: “I am delighted the council has been able to help five more fantastic community projects through the Community Grants Scheme.

“The success of the scheme is cause for celebration, and I am especially pleased that our new Community Lottery has contributed to the grant funding.

“Over the last 14 years, the Community Grant Scheme has enabled many wonderful local projects to take off, often providing modest but crucial amounts of funding that make a big difference.”

Community groups and organisations are invited to apply for funding from the second round of this year’s Community Grants Scheme when applications open on Saturday, October 1 2022.

Applications for the medium awards (up to £5,000) and large grants (up to £30,000) must be received by Thursday, December 15. Applications will then be considered by the Grants Panel before recommendations are made to Cabinet in March 2023.

Small project grants of up to £1,000 can be applied for, and are awarded, all year round.

Groups can apply for up to 50 per cent of the total cost of their project.  All applications are carefully assessed and those that have secured additional funding from other organisations and have support from the community and local councillors will be given preference.

Cllr Prochak continued: “We want to help as many community projects as possible through the second round of funding and with nearly £60,000 available I strongly encourage volunteer groups, local societies, Parish Councils and charitable organisations to speak to their local district councillor and see if they are eligible for a share of the remaining funding.”

More information on the Community Grants Scheme including how to apply is available at www.rother.gov.uk/benefits-grants-and-funding/community-grants-scheme/

Published: 20th September 2022