In 2013 Mendip District Council released £350,000 to fund local community projects, as part of the New Homes Bonus grant that the council will use to encourage and support projects across the district. Two funds were established: the Local Legacy Fund and the Community Environment Fund.

The Community Environment Fund is still ‘live’ and makes each Mendip District Councillor responsible for allocating £2000 to projects which improve the local environment, with a deadline of 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 and residents interested in applying for funding.  Please do contact me on cllr.boyden@mendip.gov.uk or 07809 284817.

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 and Frome Town Councillor, Frome College ward

Update March 2014:

The first £250 of ‘my’ allocation has been approved to go to the Packsaddle Community Group, including for a community consultation event and tea party (on Saturday 15^th March), bird boxes and equipment to support future community events at the Packsaddle Way park.

‘My’ fund has £1750 remaining.

Local Legacy Fund:

A range of organisations applied for the £250,000 Local Legacy Fund in April 2013, which was over-subscribed 4 times. Applications receiving funding included the Missing Link cycle path project, enhancements to the River Frome corridor (in part) and the Cheese & Grain, although the funding was certainly not enough to go around . See here for previous news on that. In February 2014, Mendip District Council decided to use £500,000 of its New Homes Bonus funding for 21014/15 to fund core services. However, it is expected that Mendip will announce a new Local Legacy Fund for 2014/15 in April.