Are you a Community Group? If so, here’s how to grab some cash for your projects

Each of your 30 Councillors have a ‘ward budget’ of up to £3,000 to help community projects.

The combined maximum they as Cllrs can dispose of, in any one year is £90,000. Over their four year tenure, they can dispense, in total, £360,000, to help community projects. Not a sum to be sniffed at.

Community groups in the district, or with a connection to the area, can apply for the ward budget. Further info on the criteria can be found here on Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s website –  Organisations who can apply include:

• Town and parish councils with a community tax of less than £21,000 a year

• Community interest companies (CiC)

• Charitable incorporated organisations

• Registered charities

• Schools

• Community and voluntary groups with a governing document

• Other organisations working for the benefit of the local community

Applications close on the 24 Feb 2023. So if your community group want to apply, you better get your skates on – but do read the criteria and follow the process. It’s quite simple.

If your organistaion fits into any of the categories, it may apply for a ward grant from any one of the 30 Cllrs. One must remember, Cllrs do not have to award any of their ward grant budget, to an organization, if they choose not to. Some Cllrs are excellent at processing these applications, others not so.

Both County Councillors, and Town & Parish Councils within our district, also award pots of money to community projects. So do try them as well.

Since the elections in May 2019, the amount up for grabs for community projects is £360,000. As of the 15 February 2023, Cllrs had spent £318,607, out of a possible £360,000, remember applications have not closed yet, but the full sum available will not be spent; which is unfortunate.

Between July 2019 & Dec 2022, Strange Cargo have received the most money from Cllrs ward grant budgets, according to the Council’s publicly available data. They have to the dates above, been awarded, £22,315. In second place was Seabrook C Of E Primary School, who were awarded £6,666. The chart shows the top twenty community groups, who have been awarded Cllr ward grant money.

For the full sheet of community groups have been awarded monies from Cllrs Ward budgets, since May 2019, to 15 Feb 2023, can be downloaded here.

The Cllr who has awarded most of his ward grant up until the 15 Feb 2023, is Cllr Stuart Peall (Con), who has awarded £11,958. The Cllr who has given away the least of their ward grant budget, is Cllr Danny Brook (FHIG), who has awarded just £6,000, half the amount possible.

                           

How much has your Cllr given to community groups for projects, from their £12,000, over last four years – May 2019 – 15 Feb 2023?

Well, you can download their individual ward grant budget spend, by clicking on the blue links below.

Cllr Tony Hills (Con)  £9,225,  Cllr Tim Prater (Lib Dem) £11,625,  Cllr Terence Mullard (UKIP) £11,000

Cllr Susan Carey (Con) £10,090, Cllr Rebecca Shoob (Green) £11,500,  Cllr Ray Field (FHIG)  £11,682,

Cllr Philip Martin (Ind) £8,985,  Cllr Peter Gane (Lib Dem) £11,834,  Cllr Patricia Rolfe (Con) £10,220,

Cllr Nicola Keen (Lab) £11,206,  Cllr Michelle Keutenius (Lab) £9,100,  Cllr Lesley Whybrow (Green) £10,085,

Cllr Laura Davison (Lab) £11,791,  Cllr John Wing (Green) £10,791,  Cllr John Collier (Con) £11,195,

Cllr Jim Martin (Green) £11,434,  Cllr Jenny Hollingsbee (Con) £11,090  , Cllr Jackie Meade (Lab) £11,542

Cllr Ian Meyers (UKIP) £10,449,  Cllr Georgina Treloar (Green) £11,859   Cllr Gary Fuller (Lib Dem) £11,274

Cllr Doug Wade (Green) £11,124   Cllr David Wimble(FHIG) £11,199   Cllr David Monk (Con) £9,000

Cllr David Godfrey (Con) £11,616   Cllr Connor McConville (Lab) £10,000   Cllr Clive Goddard (Con) £10,083   Cllr Ann Berry (Con)  £9650

There are many organisations across our district who are eligible for ward grants from Cllrs.

Some Cllrs are very proactive about their ward grant budgets and informing eligble organisations. Others are simply quiet on the matter.

Of all the community groups who’ve received money from a Cllr ward grant, Cllr Jim Martin (pictured) who gave £1,434, towards the – Thank You NHS Public Bench – on the 8 June 2022, speaks to us, the Team personally.

As we said, apply before the deadline of the 24 Feb. Further info on the criteria can be found here on Council’s website Best of luck to your community group, if they apply.

The Shepway Vox Team

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