Round two of the Warwickshire County Council Councillors Grant Fund launched on Monday 5 September.
A Warwickshire County Council-funded grant scheme, which supported one Studley-based theatre company to provide arts-related activities to the local community, is once again accepting applications from local organisations and voluntary groups.
Round two of the Warwickshire County Council Councillors Grant Fund launched on Monday 5 September. The fund provides each County Councillor with a pot of £8,000 to support projects within their division. Town and parish councils, voluntary and community groups and not-for-profit organisations who may be seeing small-scale funding are invited to submit an application. Round one of the scheme which took place earlier in the year saw some of this funding distributed to organisations around the county, with round two now open for applications until 16 October.
Aunty Jen Productions is a professional theatre company based in Studley which has been successful with applications to the WCC Councillor Grant fund. Jennifer Rigby, Artistic Director said: “We are an unlikely good news story of the pandemic. We came into existence in the summer of 2020 and since then we have organised many productions, workshops and performances. Through successful grant applications to the WCC County Councillors Grant Fund we have been able to stage a socially distanced pantomime, support our theatre academy and provide subsidised places for students to attend workshops and performances. Our project employed local actors and aims to reduce isolation and loneliness through our lively volunteer programme and encourages social cohesion by working with local small businesses and grass-roots venues that might not normally engage with The Arts.
Jennifer has advice for other groups considering making an application: “If you are thinking of applying for funding, make sure you have a really clear objective of what you want to achieve and a comprehensive budget breakdown. And try to make your project unique, so that your Cllr is inspired to help you with your activities. And don’t give up! The funding is there to support the local community and there is no reason not to apply. But if you aren’t successful, ask for feedback and apply again!”
Cllr Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture said: “We are happy that a large number of voluntary and community organisations/ groups applied for funding to their County Councillors during the first round of the scheme. The example of Aunty Jen Production shows how projects that have received financial contributions from the Councillor Grant Fund have made a positive difference to their local communities. I urge organisations or groups to apply for the remaining funding before the 16 October deadline.”
All applications should aim to build community capacity and improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Warwickshire in both urban and rural areas. We would love to see initiatives that
- Improve community assets and their sustainability
- Improve access to services
- Improve financial capability
- Support residents with the current cost-of-living crisis
- Reduce loneliness and isolation
- Improve physical and/or mental health and wellbeing
- Promote equalities and inclusivity
- Improve the physical environment or reduce the environmental impact.
Projects that continue to support COVID-19 and the wider impacts of the pandemic will also be considered.
For more information and how to apply to the fund please visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cllrgrants