Rural groups to benefit from more than £70,000 in round of council grants

COMMUNITY groups in rural Rother are to benefit from thousands of pounds worth of council funding.

Having submitted a grant application, a total of seven clubs and organisations were awarded a share of more than £70,000 from Rother District Council’s Community Grants Scheme.

The scheme was created to support the development of community facilities and activities and this year £130,000 is on offer in two rounds of funding.

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A major building development to provide a facility for use by the all sections of the community in Crowhurst received a cash boost of £30,000 after a successful bid by Crowhurst Parochial Church Council.

A new club house for Westfield Bowls Club also moved a step closer to becoming a reality after the district council’s cabinet agreed a conditional grant of £30,000.

Other successful bidders in round one included Pett Sports Association, which was awarded £5,000 towards the building of a new sports pavilion, and 1st Burwash and Etchingham Scout Group, which was given £2,550 towards an upgrade of its Burwash base.

Users of Brightling Parish Hall and Peasmarsh Memorial Hall will both see improvements to the facilities thanks to grants of £5,000 and £920 respectively.

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Rother District Council cabinet member Cllr Tony Ganly said: “We are delighted to be able to offer these groups and organisations, which play a vital role in bringing communities together, the funding they need for their projects.

“We hope that the financial support offered by Rother District Council will help the applicants secure further funding from other sources.”

Local groups will now have the opportunity to bid for a share of the remaining £54,330 later this year.

To be successful groups need to demonstrate that the work or event they are planning will benefit a wide section of the community and that they have achieved match funding from other people, organisations or groups.

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All grants in this first round, totalling £73,467, were awarded with conditions attached.

To find out more about the successful bids in round one or details of the Community Grant Scheme and how to apply, visit www.rother.gov.uk/communitygrantscheme