TOWN and parish councils on the Isle of Wight will be able to benefit from a “Community Chest” of council funds to help pay for local events.
The Community Chest Parish Award Scheme – now in its second year – provides a pot of £45,000 for parish councils to draw on – and this coming year it is being focussed to support community-based activities.
The award is split between £20,000 which will go towards events targeted at older residents with the remaining £25,000 designated for projects for the wider local community. It is envisaged that the funds will help fund additional costs which have emerged in recent years, such as the provisions of the 2003 Licensing Act and new health and safety regulations.
The aims of the award scheme are:
To engender community spirit and a sense of place
To encourage civic pride
Provide a mechanism for parishes and voluntary groups to contribute to the council’s agenda to improve the quality of life
Sustainability for long established community events
Encouraging community empowerment and independence
To acknowledge the achievement of Quality Parish Councils.
Councillor David Pugh the leader of Isle of Wight Council and cabinet member for housing, leisure and governance announced the council would be funding the scheme on Friday (November 16).
He said: “We recognise that the wide range of licensing and safety requirements could threaten the financial viability of many of these activities which are run by volunteers. Whilst the IW Council will continue, as a licensing authority, to apply the necessary costs, it hopes that this scheme will help minimise the financial impact of this legislation — and ensure that our communities are still able to put on popular local events.
“This scheme provides a pot of money from which parish councils can draw from in order to help them put on functions which are the lifeblood of the local community.”
