Huge cash boost for charities

More than 360,000 will be handed over by the council each year for the next three years to voluntary organisations covering the Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother, Lewes and Wealden areas.

The Community Partnership Finance will be used to help organisations that support frontline voluntary groups, help meet the core costs of organisations, and provide one-off 'seedcorn' funding for new initiatives.

Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Services, who agreed the funding package this week, said: "We want to improve the way we work with the voluntary and community sector and this funding will help us to meet that aim.

"The money is guaranteed for the next three years and will go to support the infrastructure that keeps the voluntary sector going and also to the community groups themselves who do so much to help people in our county."

In its 'Priority 1' funding stream (infrastructure support), the county council has agreed annual payments totalling 183,215 to four organisations: Eastbourne Association for Voluntary Services, Hastings Voluntary Action, Rother Voluntary Action and South Downs Council for Voluntary Service.

In the 'Priority 2' funding stream (to help meet core costs), 15 organisations will receive cash, including:

'¢ Action for Change (22,800)

'¢ Age Concern East Sussex (13,345)

'¢ STUMPED (supporting people recovering from substance misuse - 10,197)

'¢ GIZMO (out-of-school workshops including arts, IT, performing arts and film making - 9,961)

'¢ East Sussex Association for the Blind (8,311)

'¢ Citizens Advice East Sussex (8,164)

'¢ East Sussex Disability Association (7,500)

The council also confirmed that 174,000 will be provided for the 'Priority 3' Seedcorn Fund over the next three years.

The fund, which is managed on behalf of the county council by Hastings Voluntary Action, is open for small voluntary and community organisations across East Sussex.

Groups can apply for funding if they want to: pilot innovative approaches to service delivery, pilot the delivery of a local service to a wider geographical area, and develop new approaches to user involvement.

Groups can contact Hastings Voluntary Action on 01424 444010. www.hastingsvoluntaryaction.org

For more information about volunteering please visit the county council's website at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/volunteering