Charities, community organisations and projects that provide a lifeline to vulnerable people in Mansfield, Ashfield, and Newark and Sherwood are to share more than £600,000 to help with their invaluable work.

The money is part of the latest round of funding from Nottinghamshire County Council’s Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund (SRF) and the Community Hub Food Plan Fund.

Funding totalling £500,000 is to be given to 29 organisations from the SRF, while Communities Committee members also gave the go-ahead for £117,632 from the Community Hub Food Plan Fund to be shared among 11 projects.

Both funding initiatives were launched during the pandemic to support organisations that provide much-needed help and assistance to some of the most vulnerable residents.

Coun John Cottee, chairman of the Communities Committee, said: “Nottinghamshire is blessed with a wealth of community groups and charities. I have visited some of the groups and organisations that have benefited from funding to hear how the work they carry out is making a real difference to the lives of people in their communities.

“I cannot thank them enough for the work they have done and continue to do.”

Projects that will receive £5,000 or more from the Covid-19 Partnership Social Recovery Fund include:

£27,208 — Citizens Advice Ashfield, to employ a family financial resilience worker for an initial 12 months to support people secure benefit entitlements as well as help with income maximisation, spending planning and budgeting.

£19,166 — Our Centre, Kirkby, to employ a part-time support worker focused on recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers to deliver befriending and transport services.

£16,515 — St John’s Parochial Church Outreach Programme, Ashfield, to carry out essential building work to improve access at the Community Hall.

£15,700 — Sherwood Forest Educational Partnership CIC, New Ollerton (Active Partners Trust and Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust) to boost physical activity rates for younger people in an area with poor health outcomes.

£12,629 — Mid Notts Dementia Friendly Community Partnership, to deliver four weekly train the trainer dementia interpreter courses in Ashfield and Newark and Sherwood, which will provide a memory café, chair-based exercise, and a carers’ wellbeing programme.

£5,000 — Cornwater Evergreens, Ravenshead, to support activities at the daily Friendship and Memory Cafe, providing activities to people who have been lonely and isolated during the pandemic.

Projects that will receive £5,000 or more from the Community Hub Food Plan Fund include:

£20,000 — Growing Mansfield, to help fund a community development post to support, manage and deliver targeted and open food growing sessions at the existing Northfield community allotment and to develop a new Bellamy community allotment.

Money will also be used to pay for a polytunnel, greenhouse, raised beds’ equipment and compost.
£7,730 — Newark and Sherwood District Council, to establish two social eating events each month at three social housing venues, providing food safety training and volunteer opportunities for 10 people.

For further information on how residents and community groups can access a range of grants and funding schemes, visit www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/financialsupport