The grants panel of the Isle of Wight Community Fund have successfuly awarded their first trance of grants across the Isle of Wight.
Thirteen groups have benefitted from grants totalling £30,000.
As previously reported on VB, the Island Storytellers recently welcomed a grant of £3,000 to help towards the Storytelling Festival due to take place next month.
Shedding light on the past
The Friend’s of Northwood Cemetery have received a grant of £3,800 which will enable them to install electricity to the Dead House. Providing electricity brings great advantages, as well as enabling lighting, it means the Friends can to run a computer for the purpose of people researching their family history.
They’ll also be able to meet with volunteers carrying out conservation work during the winter months and have the ability make hot drinks to stay warm.
Jon Matthews who is the group’s fundraiser said “This project is the first step in a much wider plan to restore the whole cemetery including the two chapels. It will also let us offer better support to visitors who are searching for family graves and encourage other groups to come to the cemetery – such as schools.”
Other groups benefit too
The Vectis Road Allotments in East Cowes have been given £1,600 towards their successful bee keeping project. The money will also help improve the water supply on the popular site.
We understand that another ten groups have also received grants, including £2,800 to the Ryde Skate Park Users Group to finish work on the site on Ryde Esplanade, cash to the Shanklin Town Brass Band, the IW Asthma Swim Group and Cowes Short Mat Bowing Club.
Money still available
If you help organise a local community group, it’s not too late to apply for funding.
Check out their Website for more info about the Grassroots Grant programme
You’ll need to get a move on though, the deadline for the final round of grants is 26th April.
Image: aresauburnâ„¢ under CC BY-SA 2.0
