North East Derbyshire District Council has awarded funding worth over £8,000 to 17 projects since August 2020, helping them thrive and new ideas to develop through its Community Action Grants Scheme.
Supported projects cover a wide range of activities and age groups including renovating public open spaces and woodland, installing benches and creating wildlife gardens, history projects to record and exhibit stories about the district, practical projects such as funding equipment for food banks and community cafes and tackling speeding motorists to make our roads safer.
Social inclusion has also been a focus with innovative initiatives to keep our communities connected throughout the Covid-19 restrictions were supported.
Projects such as a Christmas light display and live-streams of a ‘walk-round’ of the lights, sound recording equipment to enable a band to record and share performances and support for groups that although unable to meet up have instead set themselves online challenges for good causes such as knitting items for the homeless and rough sleepers.
One supported project, the Eckington Memory Walk, has produced a booklet detailing an easy walk around Eckington to help encourage physical activity.
Councillor Alan Powell, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Communications said, “The last year has been particularly difficult with coronavirus restrictions affecting many of our lives, but these projects highlight the determination of our residents to find ways tackle the issues they have identified in their local communities and I am delighted we can support them with the community action grants scheme.
There have been many wonderful projects funded to support biodiversity in regenerating woodland and tackling climate change, campaigns for road safety and of course the fabulous Eckington Memory Walk.
I would encourage local groups in the district with a project idea that meets the criteria to apply”.
The scheme is open for applications until 31st March 2021, subject to remaining funding, and more information and how to apply can be found on the council's website at https://www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk/community/community-action-grants