Voluntary funding success

Small amounts of funding has proved beneficial to many Heywood organisations over the last few months, assisting community led groups that serve differing age groups and interests to maintain and/or expand the numbers attending their groups.

Organisations such as Heywood Health Forum and the Business Group have accessed small sums of money to help provide events which have brought people together and raised awareness of other organisations and agencies working in the town.

Young football teams and morris dancing troupes have accessed funding to purchase equipment and kits and to participate in tournaments, helping young people to widen their experiences and gain an understanding of healthier lifestyles.

Older residents, including those from Isherwood Close TARA and Cedar Disabled Group have benefited from the grants awarded to purchase indoor games, providing them with new activities which help bring people together and Heywood East TARA has recently purchased new crockery for the Luncheon Club thanks to a grant from the Vol Pot.

Little Stars Parent and Toddler Group have benefited from grants provided by the Voluntary Pot and Rochdale Borough Fund to help them update equipment for the toddlers.

Community facilities provide many local organisations with meeting space and therefore play an important role in the community. Grants have been provided to several groups (e.g. Crimble Croft Community Centre, Trinity Methodist) to help them improve community facilities. A grant from Awards for All is allowing St James Community Room to undergo improvements and a small grant from the Vol Pot will mean that the facility has new chairs.

New Heart for Heywood's Voluntary Pot, the means by which local, community based groups can access funding to help with specific projects, is still available to offer assistance. Over the last 12 months funding has been made available to help improve facilities at Crimble Croft and Heady Hill Community Centres, equipment has been purchased for several local groups including Cedar Disabled Group and Friends of Queens Park and smaller amounts have been provided to fund visits and events by organisations such as Heywood Old People's Welfare Committee and St James Area Tenants and Residents Association.

If your group would like help with funding for a specific project, then fill in the application form which is available either from our website - www.heartofheywood.org - or from the New Heart for Heywood office at 31 Bridge Street.

For further information about anything concerning the Voluntary Pot please ring Jean Palin on (01706) 694506.