Thousands awarded to East Devon community projects
A total of 35 worthy community schemes have had Parishes Together Fund applications approved by the decision making panel of East Devon District councillors between April 2016 and March 2017. The same funding is available again now.
Designed to provide financial solutions to local issues, the Parishes Together Fund is a joint East Devon District Council and Devon County Council initiative in which the sum of £1.10 per elector in each parish is put into a central pot, which parish and town councils can then apply to for funding towards community projects. All projects, apart from ditches and drainage projects that will help prevent flooding, must benefit a wider area than that of just one town or parish council.
Some of the successful projects from April 2016 to March 2017 were:
£7,125 towards a tourism project from Seaton Town Council and Axmouth and Branscombe Parish Councils to improve tourism, including creating a tourism App for the area that residents and visitors can download onto smartphones and tablets and find out what’s going on in the area.
£4,970 towards a reputable theatre company putting on a play to educate all Year 9 students in East Devon about the dangers of child sexual exploitation. Cranbrook, Broadclyst, Clyst Honiton, Poltimore, Ottery St Mary town and parish councils bid for this funding.
£3,290 to pay for educational signs along country walks in the parishes of Otterton and Woodbury. The signs will be low level, in keeping with the environment and will give details on local animal and plant life you may well see on the walks.
Broadclyst, Clyst Honiton, Cranbrook, Poltimore parish councils were granted £2,893 to help pay for the creation of a lit community heli-pad in Broadclyst, so the Devon Air Ambulance can land there at night.
All Saints, Kilmington and Chardstock parish councils and Axminster Town Council will receive £7,993 to provide defibrillators that the general public can access and use in the town and parishes to cover spots where there are none.
£37,090 will be received by Exmouth and Honiton Town Councils towards improving tourism in the area. This will be used to help fund town guides, websites and some staffing resource.
Sidmouth Town Council with support from Newton Poppleford Parish Council were granted £2,700 to pay for a mental health project to benefit local young people and £1,847 to help set up Sid Valley Youth Netball Club, to encourage the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They will also receive £8,532 towards creating wildflower beds in grass verges around the town.
Aylesbeare, Talaton, Plymtree, Cranbrook, Monkton and Upottery successfully bid for funding to help them pay for new community events noticeboards in their parishes.
£2,385 was given to Whimple and Rockbeare Parish Councils for them to provide some new allotments in Whimple that can also be let to residents of Rockbeare.
Plymtree and Talaton will receive £520 to buy a shared community marquee that they can use when they hold events.
£19,022 in total has been granted to 20 projects that will work on ditches and drainage I relation to the prevention of flooding.
There’s £124,300 available again now! Applications have to come from town and parish councils, but voluntary and community groups, schools and other organisations can put their ideas forward to their town or parish council. Find out how to contact your town or parish council here: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/parish-and-town-councils/pari...
To find out more about the Parishes Together Fund including application forms and guidance: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/grants-and-funding/parishes-together-fund
Councillor Phil Twiss, Deputy Leader of East Devon District Council and chairman of the fund, said: “I am very proud to be involved in the grass roots Parishes Together Fund, as it pumps funding directly in to local projects promoted by parish councils. I would encourage all town and parish councils to apply for funding. The quality of some of the projects this year has been outstanding.”
