Community cash up for grabs

Cash for Communities

Community groups in Rochdale are being encouraged to bid for a share of a £10,000 cash pot, launched once again by housing association Contour Homes.

‘Cash for Communities’, now its fourth year, is a fund to help residents run projects to make their neighbourhoods better places to live.

Last year, dozens of applications were received, with sums of up to £2,000 awarded to community groups across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire. The winning projects included: A football project in Oldham, a fitness club in Middleton, a wellbeing café in Rochdale and a garden allotment in Bury.

Now groups are being urged to bid for a fresh cash injection in 2017.

Pete Coventry, Contour’s community investment and wellbeing manager, said: “We know there are lots of groups out there doing amazing work and making a real difference in their community, and we want to show our support for that.

“We hope to provide funding for at least 10 new projects that aim to strengthen the community and bring people together.”

‘Cash for Communities’ will see £10,000 given away to community projects in Contour neighbourhoods between now and the end of March 2018. Groups can apply for funding by emailing their idea to communityinvestmentteam@contourhomes.co.uk

Sums of between £500 and £2,000 will be awarded to groups whose activities support one or more of four themes drawn up by Contour Homes:

• Job, training and enterprise opportunities
• Community spaces, health initiatives or community sports projects
• Activities for young people
• Helping people to get online and/or make their money go further

Further guidance on the application process can be found at www.contourhomes.co.uk