[G]rants of up to £1500 are available to help community groups in and around the Yorkshire Dales to develop new and existing initiatives that benefit local people.
Local charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) will distribute funds through the Roger Stott Community Grant programme to support small voluntary organisations and community groups with an annual income of less than £30,000.
The aim is to deliver real benefits to communities across the region. Funding can be used to cover revenue expenses such as staff costs, rent or training, or for capital investment in assets such as furniture, computers or catering equipment, to name just a few. No match-funding is required, so groups can apply for up to 100% of the total project costs.
The grant programme was launched in March 2016 in memory of Roger Stott, the founding Chairman of YDMT. Since then 42 grants totalling just over £50,000 have been awarded to support a wide variety of projects that are making a real difference to local people in and around the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale.
Tanya St. Pierre, YDMT Project Officer, said: “The region is home to many passionate and dedicated individuals with great ideas that have the potential to deliver real benefits to their local community. We can help to get these ideas off the ground and become a reality. I’m looking forward to receiving proposals for projects that will have a big impact for communities in and around the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale.”
Recent successful applications came from the Yorkshire Dales Young Archaeologists Club, Thornton Rust Institute, Sedbergh Community Swifts, and Langcliffe Community Garden Trust.
David Croll from the Langcliffe Community Garden Trust, said: “The Roger Stott Community Grant provided the tree seat in the centre of our community garden. The seat really has the ‘Wow’ factor – everyone comments on it and it has become the focal point of the community garden. It is so good to see people who have been working on the garden using the seat to rest and recover. Also to see people from the village meeting there to enjoy the surroundings, watch the wildlife and in the evenings watch the sunset. All of this would not have been possible without the support of YDMT’s Roger Stott grant. We are all very grateful for their help and support.”
Tanya Hoare from Sedbergh Community Swifts said: “Swifts hurtling around the rooftops give huge enjoyment to the community in Sedbergh – but for how much longer will this endangered bird survive? Funding from YDMT has enabled us to employ contractors to put up special nest boxes at Settlebeck School and other high and inaccessible buildings in the town.”
The Roger Stott Community Grant programme is made possible thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have awarded £1,226,332 to YDMT since 2008, supporting this and a variety of other projects across the region.
Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery said: “It’s fantastic to see communities coming together to make a big difference in their local area. These relatively small grants have the potential to make a big difference in and around the Yorkshire Dales. I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are making this possible.”
The application process is quick and simple. Please visit www.ydmt.org/resources to download the application form and guidance notes document, and to view a map showing the eligible area. For more information please contact the project officer Tanya St. Pierre on 015242 51002 or email [email protected].
The closing date for this round of applications is 5pm on Friday 20 October. Final decisions will be made on 7 December and applicants will be contacted soon after.
