Cllr Doug Oliver, leader of Rother District Council: Supporting our communities

I was delighted that earlier this week the council’s Cabinet approved a grant of £5,600 from our Community Grants Scheme to a local community interest company, The Good Story Initiative.

Over £1.6m has been paid out to local community groups and good causes since the Community Grants Scheme was started by the district council in 2008.

This particular grant will help fund plans to open a new café and community space which will host a range of workshops, classes, and activities.

The next round of funding for medium and large grant applications, ranging from £1,000 to £30,000, opens on 1 October.

We would like to help as many community projects as we can this year. With over £110,000 remaining in this year’s funding pot, I strongly encourage our Parish and Town Councils, community organisations, local charities, and voluntary groups to see if they are eligible to apply.

For more information about the scheme please visit www.rother.gov.uk/communitygrantscheme. Rother Voluntary Action can provide guidance and support with applications, which must be received by 30 November.

News that the new Sidley Community Hub has recently received planning permission is a massive boost for the community.

This exciting £2million scheme will provide new changing facilities for sports, a café, function rooms, parking and landscaping.

And this week, marking another key stage in this ambitious project, councillors agreed to lease the new hub to the Heart of Sidley Community Association. Work on the building is due to commence this autumn and be completed by winter 2025.

The last few years have been challenging for all of us and to ensure we can keep supporting our communities, enabling innovative projects, and delivering better facilities and services for residents across Rother, we have developed a new draft Council Plan.

Our new Council Plan 2024-2028 outlines our vision, themes, priorities, and key actions for the next four years and beyond.

We intend to promote sustainability, encourage economic growth, and enhance community wellbeing. Your views are a key part of how we achieve this, and we want to hear from you.

A six-week public consultation on the draft plan starts shortly, and I urge residents and visitors, as well as businesses, community groups, local charities, and sports clubs to take part.

The survey can be accessed on the consultations page of the council’s website at www.rother.gov.uk/consultations. You can also email the council with any questions or your responses to the consultation at [email protected]. Paper copies of the consultation can also be requested.

It’s important that our strategy reflects the views of local people, and I would encourage as many people as possible to let us know what they think.