Somerset Community Foundation welcomes £1.2m grassroots commitment
Somerset Community Foundation has welcomed the Government’s announcement of a £1.2 million package for communities in Somerset through their Grassroots Grants programme.

The Grassroots Grants programme is an innovative scheme, combining small grants of up to £5000 for community groups over the next three years, with a challenge fund to be matched by local donations to create a long-term fund for the county.

The Somerset Community Foundation is bidding to manage the scheme across Somerset. We have an established track record in grant-making having distributed almost £2 million across the county since 2002. Over the past two and half years we have also begun to build an Endowment Fund with the help of local individuals, trusts, and companies.

Justin Sargent, Director of the Foundation said “The short-term grants scheme will be a much-needed boost to grassroots voluntary organisations while the endowment challenge is a wonderful opportunity for local businesses, individuals and families to provide a long-term source of support to their local communities, today and for generations to come.”

Under the endowment challenge, the value of a donation could be worth up to two and half times the actual cost to the donor.

A key feature of the Community Foundation’s endowment fund is the ability for donors to create their own ‘Named Funds’ for particular areas or issues, and work with the Foundation to target grants where they are most needed.

Justin Sargent added “We are pleased to see that, broadly speaking, the match funding for the endowment can be linked to individual donations. This means donors, if they wish, will be able to ensure their donations are used to help the areas they care most about.”

(Picture below) Groups such as PEACE, a self-help group for disabled people in Pilton awarded a grant from the Millfield Students Community Fund, will be eligible for funding from the Government’s Grassroots programme

< back to news