Derbyshire grants – making a difference

A wide range of community groups, clubs, local charities, and non-profit organisations have had a cash boost thanks to the Derbyshire Grants scheme since it was launched by Derbyshire County Council back in January. 

Grants have helped set up a singing café, the hire or purchase of equipment, to train staff and volunteers, to refurbish premises, to launch sports and fitness projects, to create gardens and to support green initiatives. The money has also been used for events like summer holiday activities, discos for children with special needs, activities for Brownies and Scouts, fetes, and local celebrations of the Queen’s jubilee, and much more. 

Some money is still available. So far 75 grants totalling just over £283,000 have been allocated. This leaves nearly £1.25 million still to be awarded by the end of 2023. 

These grants help fund projects and events that support one or more of the council’s five main priorities and help local communities to thrive. 

These priorities are: 

• Helping residents feel safe
• Supporting young people
• Encouraging residents to be more active
• Supporting ‘green’ issues and sustainability
• Encouraging people to get involved in their communities.

Grants in the scheme are divided into four main types:

• Small Grants – supporting activity or projects up to £1,000
• Medium Grants – supporting activity or projects between £1,001 – £20,000
• Large Grants – supporting projects and programmes between £20,001 – £50,000
• Exceptional – supporting projects which are over £50,000.

Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Carol Hart said: “We’ve seen an excellent spread of grant applications across the county in this initial phase of the Derbyshire Grants. The money is going to the heart of our communities and supporting those groups and volunteers who make such a positive difference to their localities. The groups make modest amounts of money go a long way and I applaud every one of them. 

“Now I want to encourage more groups to get applying for money to help them adapt, develop and grow. Take a look at the sorts of projects we’ve given money to already and that may give some inspiration or perhaps you have ideas of your own. Either way we’d love to hear from you as there are hundreds of grants still available from £1,000 to potentially more than £50,000.” 

At the end of August 2022. The following grants had been allocated: 

• 64 small grants totalling £57,279.
• 9 medium grants totalling £135,800
• 2 large grants totalling £89,958. 

To see details of these, find out more about the scheme and to apply for a grant, visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/derbyshiregrants 

Groups in Erewash to have been awarded funding up to 25th August 2022 are as shown below

• Kings Road Area Neighbourhood Watch – Sandiacre: £1,000: To provide five tablets for coffee morning attendees to use the internet at home.
• Long Eaton Rainbows: £360 to fund 24 Rainbows and leaders to attend a Skills Builder Camp
• Sawley Youth Club: £1,000 to help engage with older socially isolated residents through provision of craft packs created and delivered by young people, to take two groups of 25 young people to the high ropes course at West Park Long Eaton, to provide ten young people with education, health and care plans for equine assisted therapy, and to provide a first aid refresher course for ten volunteers.
• West Hallam Well Dressing and Festival Committee: £657 to fund three gazebos to help increase civic participation and deliver community identified priorities