Newark groups receive funding boost to help vulnerable residents

An additional £500,000 is set to be channelled into a community-boosting fund overseen by Nottinghamshire County Council to support vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund was launched last June with a budget of £1 million to be shared among charities and projects which offer a lifeline to residents most in need.

To date, funding totalling £915,797 has been given to organisations in Nottinghamshire following approval by the County Council’s Communities Committee.

The remaining £84,203 from the fund has been set aside for the latest round of spending, which was approved by the committee today (Wednesday) – when the extra £500,000 for the remainder of the financial year was also given the green light.

Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the Communities Committee, welcomed news of the proposed cash boost and said he was delighted the fund had been able to provide much-needed support during the pandemic.

He said: “The past two years have been extremely difficult for all of us, but more so for the more vulnerable members of our society – some of whom are dependent on charities and organisations which provide them with a vital lifeline.

“I am delighted a further £500,000 will be set aside for the Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund and I look forward to us receiving applications from the fantastic charities and organisations in Nottinghamshire that constantly go above and beyond to help others in their communities.

“I would also like to thank the charities and organisations that have taken the time to put together application bids for the latest round of funding, which we discussed this morning, and would like to wish them every success for the future.”

In addition to approving funding worth £77,298 for the Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund, the Communities Committee also discussed giving £213,261 from the County Council’s Community Hub Food Plan Fund to 13 good causes countywide.

One project from the Newark area will receive money from the Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund

• £20,380 – Home-Start Newark – the funding will help to provide an individual and group family support service targeted at the 0 to five age group and support the costs associated with increased demand for services and the reduction in the number of volunteers because of Covid-19.

A further £6,905 of funding for applications under £5,000 for the Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund had already been approved.

Here’s a full list of the projects from the Newark area which will receive money from the Community Hub Food Plan Fund

• £34,650 – FarmEco Community Care Farm Limited, Screveton, Rushcliffe – funding for the Feeding Our Future initiative, which includes three projects to support 400 people to be delivered by 12 staff and lead volunteers.
• £22,983 – Feel Good Gardens CIC, Kings Clipstone – to fund the creation and coordination of the Nottinghamshire Community Garden Network, which includes 20 projects across north Nottinghamshire.
• £10,049 – Newark College/Children's Bereavement Centre – to establish a food club and social eating project which involves students building an outdoor eating area.
• £6,686 – Friends of Barnby Road Academy, Newark – funding for the School Growing Project to develop a large growing space for fruit and vegetables on site and to run social eating sessions in school.
• £5,920 - Friends of Sconce and Devon Park, Newark – to be used for the Holt Growing Space to buy and equip a polytunnel and growing materials such as compost as well as pots and beehives.

A further £14,144 of funding for applications under £5,000 for the Community Hub Food Plan Fund had already been approved.