Nearly £10,000 in Community Chest grants awarded to village projects in South Cambridgeshire

Five projects, including a recycled bike scheme and village tree planting, will benefit from almost £10,0000 in grants from South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Community Chest fund.

The grants are available to voluntary and community sector groups, charities and public sector bodies that are working to improve the quality of life for residents.

The council’s grant advisory committee awarded £2,000 to:

- The Farmland Museum at Waterbeach, for new guttering at the education block and cart shed, which were built almost 30 years ago. The joints are leaking and the system needs replacing. Associated rainwater capture mechanisms will also help with the watering of the museum allotment and gardens.

- Fen Drayton Village Hall for new blinds in the committee room, to encourage more people to hire the facility and reduce heat loss. It can be used by businesses, clubs, weddings, exercise groups, children’s play groups and for parties.

- Gransden Bowls and Croquet Club for a specialised refurbished lawnmower to maintain the green, as well as new club croquet mallets suitable for children and adults, as most of the club’s stock is on loan or donated. The club wants to grow its membership and improve access by families, young people and those with disabilities.

- Foxton Parish Council to plant six large trees along the internal fence line of the new children’s playground on the recreation ground to provide shade for the new under-fives’ play equipment and seating area, as well as acting in part as a wind and sound barrier.

In addition, The Liberation Cycle was awarded £1,657.13. This new charity, currently based in Steeple Morden Village Halll, provides free reconditioned bikes and bike servicing to people on low incomes or suffering from a critical illness. Many of the beneficiaries have no other primary mode of transport. The funding will go towards the start-up costs needed to create a community-based workshop where participants can come together to dismantle bicycles, learn the basics about their inner workings, and develop essential mechanical skills as well as make new friends.

Cllr Henry Batchelor, lead cabinet member for communities for South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We are pleased to support our local community through the Community Chest funding, which helps empower groups to deliver a wide range of projects aimed at improving life for our residents. Whether it's enhancing public spaces or boosting wellbeing and sport this funding reflects our commitment to building a thriving, connected community for everyone."

Find out how to apply for a Community Chest grant at scambs.gov.uk/community-safety-and-health/grants/community-chest-grants/.