News

Groups awarded major grants from Hinkley Point C funding

July 23, 2018

 

The Hinkley Point C Community Fund Strategic Grants Programme, which focuses on community cohesion, has made its first awards, and six local groups will benefit from funding, totalling in the region of £650,000. The successful groups have demonstrated how their project, scheme or initiative will help communities during the construction of Hinkley Point C. The six projects will be awarded payments over three years, and the following organisations will shortly be receiving their year one payments:

  • Community Council for Somerset (Sedgemoor, W. Somerset and Taunton Deane): providing support to existing groups, incoming workers and their families, and events and training (£31,879)

Keeley Rudd, CEO at Community Council for Somerset said: “CCS is delighted to secure funding for our Somerset Diverse Communities project, to help to create more empowered, visible and vocal BME (black and minority ethnic) communities.  Hinkley Point C workers are arriving from far and wide, and we want to provide them with a warm welcome and use the opportunity for us all to celebrate and better understand the diverse communities already living in Somerset.”






  • Diversity Voice (Sedgemoor, W. Somerset and Taunton Deane): providing advice and English language support for incoming workers and their families, events and training (£65,000)

Rafal Skarbek, Founder and CEO at Diversity Voice said: “We are delighted with the HPC Community Fund panel decision. Diversity Voice will be able to provide high levels of support – including translation and interpreting services – for Hinkley Point C workers and families. Our services will deal with immigration support, education, community cohesion events, community safety, the Lingo-Link programme and many more activities which will help newcomers integrate into the community.”






  • Home-Start West Somerset (West Somerset): providing befriending support for vulnerable families, and activities and events for the community (£40,000)

Clare Pound, Manager and Senior Support Co-ordinator at Home-Start West Somerset said: We are absolutely thrilled to receive the news of our successful grant application from the HPC Community Fund! It will ensure we continue to help families with young children across the district and will enable us to employ a member of staff to support families in the areas impacted by the Hinkley Point C development. The funding will also be used to recruit and train local volunteers to visit and support families in their homes – developing groups for peer support where appropriate.”



 


  • St George’s Church, Wembdon (Sedgemoor): providing community outreach, events and support (£11,666)

Ed Moll, Senior Minister of St George’s Church, Wembdon said: “I am excited about this next chapter in the life of the Parish Centre, and about the possibilities the HPC Community Fund grant affords us for serving everyone in our local area – especially the most vulnerable. I look forward to forging interesting partnerships along the way as we increase our reach into the community.






  • West Somerset Advice Bureau (West Somerset): providing housing support and training for volunteers (£35,536)

Susan Clowes, Service Manager at West Somerset Advice Bureau said: “This grant will be invested in our community resources, helping us and our partners to offer better services to local residents. We particularly needed money to increase staffing, so that we could continue to help people remain in their homes. It has given us a lifeline to support people in housing need.”




 

 

 

 

  • Westfield URC (Sedgemoor): providing community worker support and updating facilities for community and outreach work (£210,400)

Chris Baillie, Minister of Westfield and Cannington United Reformed Churches, said: “New possibilities always bring new challenges, but when communities are strong they cope better. Our Community Work post, and improved community facilities, will allow us to offer support to individuals and groups in both town and countryside. This grant enables us to extend and improve what we can offer in times of rapid changes.”

 

 

 

 

 

Community Cohesion was identified as the first priority for the HPC Community Fund after Somerset Community Foundation (SCF), who manage the fund, consulted with partners and key stakeholders. SCF then worked with local communities, charities and voluntary organisations to identify suitable projects for funding, which were considered by the Hinkley Point C Community Fund Awards Panel in a two-stage process.

 Justin Sargent, CEO at Somerset Community Foundation explains: “In our first year of running the Hinkley Point C Community Fund grants programme we have focused on investing in projects that strengthen and enhance local communities and services. We’re delighted that these six organisations, all of whom work in areas that are impacted by the construction of Hinkley Point C, have been successful with their applications. Their projects will not only improve and enrich the quality of people’s lives, but also contribute to the overall well-being and sustainability of their communities.”

David Eccles, Head of Stakeholder Engagement for the EDF Energy HPC project, said: “The team building Hinkley Point C want to play our role in supporting the community of which we are a part and allow the project to maximise opportunities for local people.  This is why we have made available community funds totalling over £20 million. The projects funded in this first round appear to match those ambitions perfectly.”

Somerset Community Foundation also manages the HPC Community Fund Small Grants Programme, which is currently open to applications for grants of up to £5,000 for community groups and organisations with an annual income of less than £100,000. The next deadline to apply is Friday 7 September 2018.

Further information regarding funding and how to apply to the HPC Community Fund can be found at: www.hpcfunds.co.uk or you can give Val Bishop, Programmes Director a call on: 01749 344949 or email: info@somersetcf.org.uk

 


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