Money up for grabs for local communities

People have until the end of February to get a grant from their councillor to help improve their local community.

Each of Swale’s 47 councillors has £2,400 available every year to support small-scale, local community projects through the council’s member grants scheme.

The scheme supports projects that benefit areas such as culture, sport, recreation, health, environment and community safety.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:

“We make more than £136,000 available every year for local people and organisations to use on what’s important in their community.

“They are the ones who know what their area needs, and these grants are a way for them help to make things happen.

“So far this year we’ve allocated almost £49,000 to 61 different organisations and, there’s another £14,000 going through the system that will soon be allocated.

“Organisations can apply for as little or as much as they need by completing an application form and submitting it to the council or their local councillor.

“This scheme has already helped a local project addressing knife crime and youth violence by Diversity House, replaced the batteries and pads in the defibrillator at the Alexander Centre, and paid for the roundabout at the Newington Recreation Ground.

“Eleven councillors got together to contribute £2,950, the largest amount so far this year, to The Harmony Therapy Trust in Sheerness who provide free therapy to those in need.

“Alongside the bigger grants, we’ve also provided for smaller organisations including £134.28 for Rodmersham School’s litter picking equipment and £232.44 for the 8th Sheppey Scout Group’s new gas water boiler.

“No request is too big or small, and sometimes the smallest grant can make a big difference to a local area.

“This year’s scheme will run until the end of February and we encourage all local community groups to apply.”

For more information on how to apply for a member grant visit https://www.swale.gov.uk/member-grants/

Full list of grants made to date:

Upchurch Parish Council
Install roundels and slow signs around the village
£405
Cllr Alan Horton

Borden Village Fete Committee
Borden Christmas Tree Lights Switch On Event
£1,000
Cllrs Mike Baldock and Nicholas Hampshire

Eastchurch Village Hall
Refurbish entrance hallway and disabled toilet
£800
Cllr Bill Tatton

Hartlip Community Hub
Annual ''Hartlip Sings Christmas'' event
£150
Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

Borden Short Mat Bowls Club
New uniforms for the club
£700
Cllrs Mike Baldock and Nicholas Hampshire

Diversity House
Towards a ''Pop-Up'' event in the community to showcase young peoples' work
£650
Cllrs Roger Truelove, Ghlin Whelan, Corrie Woodford, Simon Clark and Sarah Stephen

Diversity House
Boyz2Men project addressing knife crime and youth violence
£1,000
Cllr Sarah Stephen

Citizens Advice Swale
Towards training costs for staff
£744
Cllrs Hannah Perkin, Tim Gibson and Paul Stephen

1242 (Faversham) Royal Air Force Air Cadets
Training Flight Simulator Equipment
£700
Cllrs Lloyd Bowen, Mike Whiting, Denise Knights, Hannah Perkin and Benjamin A Martin

Faversham Strike Force Football Club
Maintenance of Community 3G pitch
£200
Cllr Denise Knights

Warden Bay Parish Council
Install a basket/pod swing in the village park
£1,800
Cllrs Padmini Nissanga and Bill Tatton

Steering Group of St Peter & St Paul Lynsted
Repair the 18th Century Church Clock
£800
Cllrs Lloyd Bowen and Mike Whiting

Leysdown Village Hall
Upgrade fire security system and exit arrangement at the village hall
£1400
Cllr Padmini Nissanga

Lower Halstow Parish Council
Celebration for VE Day 75
£150
Cllr Corrie Woodford

Swale CVS
Delivery of the Befriending Service
£450
Cllrs Corrie Woodford Ken Rowles Eddie Thomas

Mile Town United
Training equipment for Mile Town United FC and Mile Town FC
£300
Cllr Lee McCall

Harmony Therapy Trust
Ongoing costs to provide holistic and supportive therapy
£2,950
Cllrs Mike Baldock, Cameron Beart, James Hall, Elliott Jayes, Paul Stephen, Mike Whiting, Hannah Perkin, Ghlin Whelan, Lee McCall, Ken Ingleton and Mark Ellen

Kent Community Rail Partnership
Santa Train event
£250
Cllr Richard Darby

Queenborough Harbour Trust
Luggage trolley to help mooring holders and visitors
£450
Cllrs Cameron Beart, Peter Marchington and Simon Fowle

Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway
Towards fencing the boundary tp prevent trespass
£650
Cllrs Ken Rowles, Roger Truelove and Tim Gibson

Green Cube CIC
Set up Teynham in bloom group
£500
Cllrs Lloyd Bowen and Mike Whiting

Sheppey Heritage Trust
Purchase door and window frames for new extension
£2,000
Cllrs Ken Pugh, Ken Ingleton and Peter MacDonald

Faversham Swimming Pools
New inflatable for weekly children fun events
£1,500
Cllrs Monique Bonney, Lloyd Bowen, David Simmons, Denise Knights, Hannah Perkins, Alastair Gould, Tim Valentine, Benjamin A Martin, Julian Saunders, Ben J Martin and Eddie Thomas

West Faversham Community Association
Running cost for the club
£2,400
Cllrs Carole Jackson

The Freedom Centre
Respite break for members
£1,300
Cllrs Angela Harrison, Corrie Woodford and Lee McCall

Sheerness Swimming Club
Club equipment
£550
Cllrs Cameron Beart, Peter Marchington and Simon Fowle

SS Peter & Paul Church
Cribs from the World exhibition
£200
Cllrs Nicholas Hampshire and Mike Baldock

Upchurch Cricket Club
New disabled access lift
£400
Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

Sheppey Matters
Young Peoples War On Waste Project
£700
Cllrs Richard Darby, Corrie Woodford, Mike Whiting and Mark Ellen

1st Teynham Scout Group
New Gas BBQ to run community fundraising events
£500
Cllr Lloyd Bowen

All Saints Church
Repair costs for a toilet and running water
£450
Cllrs Roger Clark and Corrie Woodford

Sittingbourne Christmas Lights Association
Sittingbourne Christmas lights, the switch on event and the Santa Sleigh rounds
£1,050
Cllrs Nicholas Hampshire, James Hunt, Roger Truelove, Ghlin Whelan, Mike Baldock and Corrie Woodford

Lower Halstow Over 60s
Christmas party
£200
Cllrs Roger Clark and Corrie Woodford

Friends of Newington Recreation Ground
New roundabout for playground
£200
Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

The Alexander Centre Community Interest Company
Replace batteries and pads in defibrillator
£286
Cllrs Hannah Perkin and Eddie Thomas

The Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne
Wheels of Time Initiative
£1,600
Cllrs Mike Baldock, Monique Bonney, Roger Clark, Ken Ingleton, Alan Horton, Richard Palmer, Hannah Perkin, Roger Truelove, Ghlin Whelan, Ken Rowles and Mike Whiting

Countrywide Productions
Wild Explorer nature film project
£650
Cllrs Benjamin A Martin, Ben J Martin and Hannah Perkin

Faversham Literary Festival
Towards the literary festival in February 2020
£250
Cllr Mike Whiting

Faversham Community Christmas Lights Committee
Fundraising activity to support Faversham Christmas Lights
£150
Cllr David Simmons

Swale Film Festival
Towards the Film Festival
£950
Cllrs Steve Davey, Tim Gibson, Ken Rowles, Roger Truelove, Ghlin Whelan and Tony Winckless

Milton Creek Trust
Fencing a new pond
£600
Cllrs Derek Carnell and Tony Winckless

Sittingbourne in Bloom
Community garden project at Johnson’s Gardens
£200
Cllr Roger Truelove

Sittingbourne in Bloom
Floral decorations for Sittingbourne town centre
£750
Cllrs Roger Clark, Tim Gibson, Ken Rowles and Tony Winckless

Thursday Dance Club
Costs of day trips
£820
Cllrs Mike Baldock, Cameron Beart, Richard Darby, Simon Fowle, Peter Marchington, Pete Neal, Roger Truelove and Bill Tatton

Swale Borough Council
New bench at Jacinth Drive
£728
Cllr James Hunt

Monday Dance Club
Monday sequence dance club running costs
£420
Cllrs Cameron Beart, Simon Fowle and Peter Marchington

1st Upchurch Guides
Costs of resources
£300
Cllr Richard Palmer

1st Upchurch Brownies
Costs of resources
£270
Cllr Alan Horton

Kent Equality Cohesion Council (Cohesion Plus)
Swale Fusion Festival of Light
£900
Cllrs Nicholas Hampshire, Elliott Jayes, Ben J Martin, Richard Palmer, Paul Stephen, Mike Whiting and Sarah Stephen

Community Heritage Events
Faversham Hop Festival
£2,100
Cllrs Derek Carnell, Denise Knights, Benjamin A Martin, Ben J Martin, Hannah Perkin, David Simmons, Eddie Thomas and Tony Winckless

Kemsley Short Mat Bowls
Running costs
£250
Cllr Derek Carnell

Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey
Dementia Café
£250
Cllr Roger Clark

Swampys Wildlife Rescue
Running costs
£900
Cllrs Cameron Beart, Richard Darby, Mark Ellen, Peter Marchington and Mike Baldock

Newington Parish Council
Fence around the perimeter of the zipwire
£800
Cllrs Alan Horton and Richard Palmer

Leysdown Village Hall
Clean, colour and seal perimeter of village hall
£800
Cllr Bill Tatton

Rodmersham School
Equipment for litter picking
£134.28
Cllr Monique Bonney

The Fenner Frost Foundation
Funds to support adults with a learning disability to develop the skills to access paid employment
£400
Cllr Derek Carnell and Roger Truelove

The Autism Apprentice CIC
Support to parents through workshops and assisting with paperwork
£1,800
Cllrs Derek Carnell, Tim Gibson, Alan Horton, Peter Marchington, Ben J Martin, Eddie Thomas, Tim Valentine and Corrie Woodford

Swale Borough Council
New street nameplates
£976.83
Cllrs Steve Davey and Tony Winckless

Sittingbourne Lionesses
New team football kit
£450
Cllrs James Hunt, Roger Truelove and Tony Winckless

8th Sheppey Scout Group
A new gas water boiler
£232.44
Cllr Lee McCall