Eastern and Sheppey area committees open to bids to fund local projects

Published Friday 1 July, 2022
Last updated on Friday 1 July, 2022

Local organisations on the Isle of Sheppey and in Faversham and surrounding villages can now bid for funding for their community projects from Swale Borough Council’s Eastern and Sheppey area committees.

The council has made £158,000 available across all four area committees to support local projects, and this year, the Eastern and Sheppey area committees are inviting bids from local organisations.

The bids should benefit the local community while supporting the area committee, and wider council, priorities which include:

• Encouraging active travel
• Improving open spaces and public realm
• Supporting local heritage
• Tackling deprivation
• Reducing health inequality
• Reducing crime and antisocial behaviour.

The amount of funding allocated to each area committee is based on the number of councillors on the committee and this year the Eastern committee has received £40,000 and the Sheppey committee has received £47,000.

Cllr Denise Knights, chair of Eastern area committee, said:

“We’ve got £40,000 this year to help fund local projects that are important to the community.

“We’ve already been involved in the funding of the outdoor gym at Bull Lane, a mobile youth project in Boughton-under-Blean, and installing a new energy-saving pool pump at Faversham Pools.

“We’ve also invested time and money into identifying walking and cycling routes linking Faversham and local villages, an e-bike hire scheme at Faversham Town Hall and the installation of a bike hanger at Central car park and Partridge Lane car parks in Faversham.

“This year we plan to continue our commitment to active travel solutions, increasing biodiversity and supporting people through the cost of living crisis.”

Cllr Ken Ingleton, chair of the Sheppey area committee, said:

“Our area committee funding helps projects that really benefit the local community become a reality.

“We’ve contributed to three CCTV cameras at Leysdown, a new ceiling for Teddy Bear day care centre in Queenborough and a lift for disabled access at Blue Town Remembered centre.

“We were also involved in the refurbishment of the Sheppey war memorial and Eastchurch aviation memorial.

“This year we have £47,000 to contribute to projects that help us meet our priorities of increasing tree planting, refurbishing public toilets, reducing crime and encouraging active travel.

“If you’re a local organisation and have ideas for projects that could help improve the local community, head over to our website to download the application form and submit it by Monday, 1 August.”

For more information and to download the application form visit www.swale.gov.uk/acgf.

Completed application forms can be emailed to areacommittees@swale.gov.uk or posted to Area Committees, Swale Borough Council, Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3HT.

Bids will be accepted from Friday, 1 July until Monday, 1 August.