New fund is available to community groups

A new fund is available to community groups within the Rochdale area.

Spotland and Falinge ward has been selected as one of the 600 areas to receive Community First funding.

A Community First panel has been set up in your area, made up of local people. Their contact details can be found on the back of this leaflet. Get in touch to find out more or get involved.

Funding is available for projects that meet priorities agreed in consultation with local people. Agreed priorities for Spotland and Falinge ward are:

• Clean: Work with local people to achieve a high standard of cleanliness in our area
• Green: Develop community projects to increase and improve our green spaces
• Communities: Increase pride by developing a sense of belonging and positive shared identity with our area.
• Engagement: encourage residents and community groups to get involved in projects to meet local needs
• Overall Aim: To work together to make Spotland and Falinge a great place to live, work and play.

Jason Addy, Chair of Spotland & Falinge Area Forum encourages local people to get involved by attending the nest Area Forum meeting at Spotland Methodist Hall, Rooley Moor Road on May 10 at 7.00pm

"This is a great opportunity for local communities to help make a real difference to their area. A lot of hard work is already done by local groups who quietly get on with volunteer activities that sometimes get overlooked. In difficult economic times, this funding is very welcome and can help put our "community first" with modest, deliverable projects".

For more information and an application pack contact:

Email: spotlandandfalinge.rochdale@yahoo.co.uk  

Tel: 01706 354447

Closing date for 1st round applications is Friday 1 June 2012

What is Community First?

Community First is an England-wide programme, funded by the Office for Civil Society, on behalf of the Government. It will run for four years, until March 2015. Two funds of money, worth £80m, have been created to help communities come together, become more resilient, and make their local area a better place to live.

Neighbourhood Match Fund: A £30m fund to encourage people to give time and expertise to local projects. The funds will be distributed to 600 areas across England, which have been selected by CDF according to several criteria.

Community First Panels: Each of the 600 areas will have their own panel, comprised of local people to represent their community. They will be involved in creating a plan for the local area, raising awareness of the funds, and planning how they will match and spend the money.