£120,000 up for grabs

THE FIRST anniversary of a project which promotes communities working together celebrated the milestone by launching a grant for £120,000.

The One Town One Community initiative celebrates fairness, tolerance, mutual respect and an understanding of different cultures in Rotherham.

This week, the project launched a grant for £120,000 which is up for grabs for community groups across the county.

It is hoped that the money will provide assistance to the area's volunteer-led projects, with grants of up to £5,000 available for those who make a difference in the area.

The fund was made available through a new partnership between South Yorkshire Community Foundation, Rotherham Borough Council, NHS Rotherham and Rotherham Local Strategic Partnership.

Cllr Mahroof Hussain, Cabinet member for Community Development and Engagement, said: “In the spirit of One Town One Community, this is a grant campaign that is open to anyone involved in a community project in the Rotherham area.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for many worthwhile projects to receive a boost and we are delighted that many communities across the borough will be able to benefit.”

The event at Clifton Park Museum, was attended by the Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Rose McNeely, Jon Warburton from South Yorkshire Community Foundation and Denise Lelliot from Brampton Youth Centre.

Representatives from community groups which have already benefited from grant funding were also at the celebration.

Pauline Grice, chief executive of South Yorkshire Community Foundation, said: "We are delighted to announce this new grant campaign to benefit community projects in Rotherham.

“We have funded some fantastic groups in this area and would invite anyone who requires support with a local community project to get in touch as soon as possible.”

South Yorkshire Community Foundation has distributed more than £1.2 million of grant funding in Rotherham over the past three years, helping around 230 community groups.

SYCF will administer the fund and advise that applications should be submitted as soon as possible.

For more details of how to apply for the funding, visit the website www.sycf.co.uk/grant_campaigns or call 0114 2424857.