Local communities to benefit from new Big Society Fund

Just over a month after the launch of the North Norfolk District Council’s Big Society Fund, the first meeting of the Fund’s Board has this week awarded over £80,000 to local community projects.

Just over a month after the launch of the North Norfolk District Council’s Big Society Fund, the first meeting of the Fund’s Board has this week awarded over £80,000 to local community projects.

NNDC’s announced the creation of the Big Society earlier this year, with a total of £450,000 being made available for 2012/13. Applications for funds of nearly £250,000 were received for the first round of awards, which began in April. The Board considered those applications looking for grants of less that £10,000 and in this round various local groups from right across the district, including town and parish councils, charitable trusts and voluntary groups will benefit to the tune of £81,776. Successful applicants are being informed of the amounts awarded and a full list of successful applicants will be announced shortly.

The grants were all for £10,000 or less and were decided by the Big Society Fund Board, a cross-party board of District Council Members. Those applications for more than £10,000 will be considered separately by NNDC’s Cabinet next month.

NNDC Cabinet Member for Localism and the Big Society, and chair of the Big Society Fund Board, Trevor Ivory, said, “I am delighted at the quality and variety of applications that we have received for the new Fund, which we have set-up to support projects that strengthen our communities. It is about getting funding straight to the frontline and directly into the hands of those with good ideas about what they want to see happen in their town or village.

“The great thing is that the ideas behind these projects have come from the communities themselves, instead of from outside bodies who think they know best what a community needs. Where ever I go in North Norfolk I hear from people with great ideas about what they would like to achieve for their community and from the awards we have been able to make in this first round it’s quite clear that the Big Society Fund will be a springboard from which new and exciting ideas will be launched. I look forward to seeing a lot more innovative projects coming forward.”

The Fund is now open again for applications for the next round of funding, which will be considered later in the year. For further information on the fund and details of how to apply, visit www.northnorfolk.org/bigsocietyfund

ENDS