GRANTS of up to £4,000 are available to voluntary groups and charities working to to improve the lives of people living in their communities thanks to the continuing partnership between Wiltshire Community Foundation and Wessex Water.
The Wessex Water Foundation Community Fund is part of the water and sewage company’s mission to fund projects which bring people together to build stronger communities. Since 2020 it has provided grants of at least £500,000 a year to projects across the Wessex Water region.
The community fund, which is open for applications from September 25 until October 23, is designed to fund work that supports people in financial difficulty or who lack access to services, takes place in areas of multiple deprivation or rural isolation and helps build stronger, more resilient communities.
It will also fund projects helping people manage or avoid debt and provide education in money management and household budgeting skills. Additionally, the fund will raise awareness and take up of utility affordability support, such as the Wessex Water schemes, among those who need it most.
Last year the fund awarded more than £40,000 to 16 groups across Wiltshire.
Among the recipients was Chippenham Community Eco Hub in Borough Parade, which was awarded £3,000 to open a ‘living room’ for people to visit to keep warm over the winter months. “We had hot drinks and warm snacks, as well as newspapers, board games and a television for people to keep occupied while they were here,” said chair of trustees Sandie Webb.
“The grant was fantastic because it meant we could operate for six months without having to charge anyone and it became a lovely welcoming place for people who really needed it.”
Westbury and Warminster Youth Clubs used a £3,000 grant to cover core costs for its two regular clubs providing a safe, encouraging space for 40 young people in Westbury and 20 at Lakeside Community Hall in Warminster.
Youth worker Beth Mullins said the club is a lifeline for young people from low-income families who can afford little in the way of entertainment. “We charge £1 each week, it is quite important we keep it low because there is a lot of poverty close to where we run,” she said. “The grant was really helpful because it means we had the staff to keep the clubs running.”
The West Wilts Child Contact Centre in Trowbridge, which provides a place for separated parents to spend time with their children in a safe environment, used a £1,000 grant towards running costs.
The centre works with up to seven families at a time who are referred by the courts but receives no statutory funding. It relies on a team of 15 volunteers and one part-time co-ordinator.
Chair of trustees Rodney Weaver said the grant helped towards rent and insurance, as well as replenishing the centre’s toy stocks. “Without this funding to pay these sorts of costs we wouldn’t be able to operate at all,” he said.
The Bybrook Benefice of churches, which comprises ten parishes including Yatton Keynell, Biddestone, Castle Combe and Kington St Michael, used a £2,700 grant to run non-religious support for the community.
Almost all the parishes are without community halls and with shops and pubs closing the villages served by the churches have few places to bring people together. Based at Yatton Keynell Village Hall, the benefice ran financial management and parenting courses, a bereavement cafe and a warm space through the winter.
Treasurer Eric Woodcock said the grant paid for tables and chairs and catering equipment including a coffee machine. “The furniture enables us to have a much more flexible space and open it up to allow us to offer a wider variety of activities, which we were previously unable to do, and the catering equipment enables us offer refreshments and make the space more welcoming,” he said.
Wessex Water head of community engagement Kirsty Scarlett said: “This fund will enable us to continue investing in strengthening communities and supporting people who need it most.
“Part of this will involve continued funding for local groups, supporting debt advice organisations and charities dealing with those affected by low income, mental and physical health issues, hunger, housing problems and unemployment.
“We hope to support a wide range of groups who make a real difference for people in their local area.”
Wiltshire Community Foundation joint chief executive Fiona Oliver thanked Wessex Water for its continuing support. “Thanks to Wessex Water’s ongoing support we have been able to help grass roots groups across the county deliver vital support to their communities for a fourth year. We know there is some amazing work going on in our communities and we are so pleased this fund is there to support it.”
To find out more about eligibility and how to apply go to wiltshirecf.org.uk/grants-and-support.