Crowdfund Crawley - first project funded

Caroline Haslett c1924. Picture courtesy of the IET Archives SUS-180214-172203001

The Caroline Haslett Memorial Project was the first project to be uploaded to the Crowdfund Crawley website and reached its target of £713 with pledges from the public, West Sussex County Council and Growing a Greener Britain.

The project will ‘adopt’ a pylon and its surroundings for a public memorial to women’s equality champion and electrical engineer Dame Caroline Haslett, (1895-1957) at a site near her birthplace in Three Bridges.

The funding will pay for a wide consultation involving neighbourhood leafleting, noticeboard posters, banners, drop-in presentation events, slideshows and preparation of on-line media material and questionnaires.

Crawley Borough Council has made its first pledge to a project - £5,000 for a wheelchair swing in the Maidenbower Park play area.

This contribution – along with pledges from the public and West Sussex County Council – helped raise £9,105 towards the project’s target of £12,892.

Of the eight projects currently on Crowdfund Crawley, one has reached its target (the Caroline Haslett Memorial Project), three have received pledges towards their targets and four are at the preparation stage. Crowdfunding gives local people a platform to raise awareness and support for their project, also giving them the opportunity to unlock grants and other funds. The money is collected by Crawley Borough Council through charges against new development to create the Neighbourhood Improvement Fund.

Community organisations with crowdfund project ideas can access the Neighbourhood Improvement Fund and be considered for a pledge, provided their idea benefits the residents of Crawley by improving the local environment, community services or facilities which are sometimes affected by development. The council may pledge up to 50 per cent of the total project target, capped at £5,000. Councillor Peter Smith, Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development, said: “I’m delighted to see how quickly Crowdfund Crawley has had success. Contributions from local authorities and generous members of the public have already helped great project ideas – and I’m sure there will be many more to come.”

For more details, or to pledge, visit: https://www.spacehive.com/movement/crawley/projects