Over the next two years, organisations across the county are set to benefit from over £700,000 from East Sussex County Council after the green light was given for community partnership funding.
Highlights include £98,000 for Eastbourne Association of Voluntary Services, £98,000 for Hastings Voluntary Action, £108,000 for the South Downs Council for Voluntary Service and £51,000 for Rother Voluntary Action.
Other groups set to benefit include:
- Action for Change (alcohol and drug misuse services) - £28,000
- Open Door (support project for young people) - £22,500
- Age Concern East Sussex - £15,500
- East Sussex Association for the Blind - £15,000
- East Sussex Disability Association - £15,000
- Hastings and Rother Mediation - £10,000.
Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Cabinet Member for Community Services approved the funding. He said: “The Council has clearly demonstrated its commitment to the voluntary sector. Despite an extremely tough financial situation and reductions in other budgets, we have kept the same level of funding for this area and will give out almost three quarters of a million pounds over the next two years.
“One of our most important contributions is to support organisations that work at a local level helping our residents improve their quality of life. Some of our funding will go towards paying for premises, utility bills, administration, staff training and newsletters. These costs are always difficult for organisations to find.”
The County Council has also created a ‘seedcorn fund’ for smaller voluntary groups to apply for up to £5,000 worth of funding to pilot new ways of working, user involvement or to deliver a service to a wider geographical area.
A new web based search tool – GRANTnet – has also been set up for the voluntary sector. The tool enables people to search for funding or services from a wide range of local, regional, national and international funding programmes.
Notes to editors
For further information please telephone Martin Fitzgerald at the County Council on 01273 481691.
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