16/01/04 - £6,777 Grants for Community Groups and Early Years in Eden

Today, Cumbria County Council’s Eden Local Committee ratified £2,300 for community groups and £4,477 for early years provision in Eden, including a grant of £2,750 towards outside play equipment for Brough Pre-School Nursery.  The community grants, given by Neighbourhood Forums across Eden, are to support local community activities and projects.  County Councillor Mary Warburton, Chair of Eden Local Committee, says,

“I am pleased to support community groups and projects in Eden.  Some of the types of projects funded by the community grants programme have included social care projects, purchase of equipment, restoration work and First Aid training initiatives.  As a local committee, we are committed to supporting early years development in rural areas and have also funded the Nursery through the Early Years funding strategy today, along with £1,477 for Long Marton After School Club and £750 for the `Movers and Makers’ Club.  With that in mind, I am particularly pleased to be able to offer support through Neighbourhood Forum Community Grants to Brough pre-school nursery.  Community projects enable people to access services that would otherwise be difficult to access, avoiding the isolation that can result from living in a rural area like Eden.”

Barbara Wilson, Brough pre-school nursery says,

“I am delighted to receive this funding from Cumbria County Council’s Eden Local Committee and the Upper Eden Neighbourhood Forum.  We will use the grant to buy much needed outside play equipment.  The nursery was set up on our present site in 1998 and currently have 37 children on roll.  We are an accredited nursery and gained a quality kite mark in 2000.  This grant enables us to continue to improve local childcare provision and quality.

The `Movers and Makers’ Club provides weekly sessions of music, movement and craft activities for pre-school children and their carers.  The grant will be used to buy safety mats and musical equipment.  Long Marton After School Club will be using their £1477 grant to extend its after school capacity to 24 children rather than the 16 places it currently offers.

The other Neighbourhood Forum grants ratified by Eden Local Committee today are,

Eden Fells Forum area - £200 to Kirkby Thore Youth Club

Vale of Eden Forum Area - £1,000 to Lazonby village hall Committee for improvement to the hall to comply with fire regulations. 

Eden Social Care Budget - £100 to the Volunteer Bureau in Eden towards the cost of a replacement projector lamp 

Anyone interested in knowing more about community grants can contact Sally Orrell, Area Support Team, Cumbria County Council on (01434) 382128  for more information.