Mendip District Council released £350,000 to fund local community projects earlier in 2013. The money is part of the New Homes Bonus grant that the council will use to encourage and support legacy projects across the district. Two funds have been established: the Local Legacy Fund and the Community Environment Fund.

Local Legacy Fund

Applications to the Local Legacy Fund, which received £250,000 of funding in 2013, are for projects costing over £10,000 and can come from a range of groups – community and voluntary organisations, parish and town councils, village halls, social interest groups and community interest businesses. Projects need to meet at least one of the council’s strategic priorities and either:

• Add to the health and wellbeing of the community
• Create educational, training or work opportunities for the community
• Improve the quality of life of the community

Updated October 2013: A range of Frome organisations applied in April 2013 and obtained a share of the £250,000 funding, including for the Missing Link cycle path project, enhancements to the River Frome corridor and the Cheese & Grain, although the funding was certainly not enough to go around to cover all applications – see http://www.mendip.gov.uk/article/2964/Community-projects-awarded-250000-from-Mendip-Council

A new round of funding applications will be announced in spring 2014, see http://www.mendip.gov.uk/newhomesbonus

Community Environment Fund

The Community Environment Fund will provide funding for small projects which improve the local environment, and will be administered in each ward by district councillors. The Community Environment Fund allocates £2000 to each ward councillor for local organisations to apply to, between now and February 2015.

Funds have to go towards schemes which improve the local environment and benefit local residents within the ward. There is a minimum of £200 per application to the fund. The fund could be used for physical improvements to the local environment, ‘hands-on’ activities to improve the local environment or other ‘awareness raising’ events to improve the local environment. Funds can be granted to community organisations, voluntary organisations, community interest companies, social enterprises, village or town halls, parish or town councils or a project receiving funds may be directly managed by the Member. Funds cannot be granted to individuals or private companies. Faith groups may apply, as long as the project fully complies with Mendip’s Equal Opportunities Policy. Councillors may decide to pool funds within or between wards, to enable a larger pool of funding for local organisations to apply to.

Please see http://www.mendip.gov.uk/newhomesbonus for further details and how to apply.

I have already contacted other Mendip councillors, local environmental organisations and residents groups (including Friends of the River Frome, FROGS, Sustainable Frome, the Packsaddle Community Group and Coalway Lane Residents Association), and Frome Town Council, and local residents (via letters to the Frome Times and Somerset Standard, and in leaflets) about these funds.

I await to hear from local organisations interested in applying for funding.  Please do contact me on cllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk or 07825 802643.  Councillors in the Frome area are: myself Adam Boyden and Carole Bullen (Frome College ward) Sam Phripp and Adrian Dobinson (Frome Berkley Down), Derek Tanswell and Sharon Snook (Frome Market ward), Helen Sprawson-White (Frome Oakfield ward), Claire Hudson and Damon Hooton (Frome Park ward), Alvin Horsfall and Richard Pinnock (Frome Keyford ward), and Peter Knibbs (Beckington and Selwood, surrounding Frome).  Contact details of other Mendip District Councillors can be found on Mendip’s website.

Please do get in touch with Matthew Cheney if you have any queries or would like him to visit your organisation to provide support and assistance with developing project ideas: Matthew Cheney, New Homes Bonus Development Officer, Mendip District Council, Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5BT. Email: Matthew.Cheney@mendip.gov.uk  – Tel 01749 341569, 07980 666142

Adam Boyden, Mendip District Councillor, Frome College ward