Community groups get share of £1.3m funding

Lincolnshire Community Foundation’s Levelling UP Community Grants Programme (GRASSroots) will distribute grant aid across Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland to go towards supporting rural communities and parish and town councils.

Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the scheme aims to meet an already high demand from parishes and strengthen the social fabric of communities. This could be through building pride in place by improving community facilities, creating opportunities to bring people together or creating social connections that will grow and thrive.

Projects and groups in East Lindsey that have been successful in securing a grant are Wainfleet St Mary Jubilee Orchard; New York Lecture Hall; Stixwould Village Hall; Spilsby Town Council; and Aby with Greenfields Parish Council.

In South Halland they include Gosberton Snooker and Bowls Club and Flinders Park Improvement Project in Donington.

In a joint statement, Councillor Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for The Coastal Economy, and Councillor Adam Grist, portfolio holder for Market Towns and the Rural Economy at East Lindsey District Council and Councillor Paul Redgate, portfolio holder for Finance, Commercialisation, Levelling Up and UK Shared Prosperity Funding at South Holland District Council, said: “This funding gives a vital boost for parishes to improve their village halls, their popular clubs and allotments - which will be hugely beneficial to the people who live in those communities and visitors too.

“Additionally, this also gives a helping hand to those who want to set up a new initiative, perhaps a community transport service or an event in their rural community.

“We are so pleased to see this money spreading out across the area, not just in the bigger towns but also the smaller villages which we know will very much appreciate this funding.”

Applications are still open and there is still time to apply for the next round of funding.

Grants of up to £24,999 are available to enable places to invest in and/or restore their community spaces and create the foundations for growth at a neighbourhood level.

Find out more through the LCF’s Grants Page at www.lincolnshirecf.co.uk, where the application form can be found. Alternatively, more information can be found by contacting [email protected] or calling 01529 305825.