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Frome Town Council Agrees £8k grant funding for community projects.
Last week Frome town Council approved £7920 of grant funding to local organisations as part of the Community Grants programme. This money is award to organisations who meet council objectives and whose projects benefit local residents.
Local group Songs For The Memory, won the hearts of local residents at the end of last year when the national charity acting as an umbrella for the local group Singing for The Brain decided to withdraw their support and funding for this popular weekly singing group which supports local people who experience memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Relatives and carers, together with singing teacher Emily Gerrard, decided to establish their own group to keep the sessions going and launched a couple of successful small crowdfund campaigns to fund the costs of room hire and teas and coffees. They also applied to the Town Council for financial support.
Debbie Webster the Secretary for Songs For The Memory said ‘we have been overwhelmed with the support we have received in recent months and are particularly grateful to Frome Town Council for this grant. It really is so important to us that the group can carry on meeting, for some this is the highlight of their week and they come alive when they sing. It gives us a chance to come together and do something together, build a social network, share experiences and experience the joy of people remembering a song.’
The group met community project officer Kate hellard in July last year when it became likely that the Alziemers society would withdraw ‘the absolute determination of this group of carers already stretched in their roles looking after their loved ones has really paid off and we are so pleased to be able to support this new group as they move forward. Not only have they received a grant from us but we have also been able to help with fundraising advice and support, training and a bit of help in understanding what is possible in terms of organisational structure.
The Merlin Theatre, one of Frome’s two popular voluntary run theatres is looking to use their £2000 grant from Frome Town Council as match funding for future projects in the theatre. In 2016/17 the theatre attracted a staggering 18,000 people through its doors watching a diverse programme of live theatre and film all supported by 90 volunteers ranging in age from 14 to 80 years old.
Claudia Pepler, part time director at the theatre said “we are delighted to receive this grant from the Town Council which we hope will enable us to bring much more funding into the theatre and therefore Frome in support of the arts.”
Frome Town Council committed funding for 7 community projects in this round and is due to close the next round on the 15th February. In addition to the Community Grant the council also runs a small grant programme administered by the mayor. This ongoing grant fund is for applications of up to £300.
See Beryl and Emma talking about what their group means to the them by heading to our news story www.frometowncouncil.co.uk/songsformemory/
For more information about the various grants and or for help and advice on fundraising visit https://www.frometowncouncil.gov.uk/your-community/grants/
