Stowmarket Town Council - Stowmarket Town Council

Organisations to benefit include: 

• The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts who received £500 towards phase three of their refurbishment project
• The Jubilee 2012 committee who received £494 towards the cost of the free event that they are organising at the Recreation Ground on June 4^th to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
• Mid Suffolk Boys Brigade and Girls Association who received £500 towards the cost of new tables for their venue in Combs Ford
• Optua, who received  £400 towards staff costs associated with two monthly social clubs for people with disabilities. (cinema club at The Regal and social club at The Walnut Tree)
• The Museum of East Anglian Life who received £500 in respect of the costs of holding StowBlues on June 2^nd

Daniel Harvey, Public Services Manager at Stowmarket Town Council said, “Voluntary and community groups often rely on grant funding but many funding sources are disappearing. We’re pleased that we’re able to continue to support local organisations through our grant scheme. The recent round of funding saw all sorts of organisations benefit, including the church, a cricket club and the Old Commrades Association. Without the funding we provide, some organisations wouldn’t be able to provide the service that they provide and in extreme cases, it could be the difference between them surviving and not.”

James Powell, Public Relations Manager for Optua, recipients of one of the recent grants, said. “We really appreciate the funding which Stowmarket Town Council has provided to Optua which has helped us to support our social activities for disabled people which benefit many people in the Stowmarket area. It’s increasingly difficult to find funding in the current financial climate and any help we get is very much appreciated.”

The above photo shows the Deputy Town Mayor, Councillor Mrs Anne Whybrow, awarding a grant cheque to the Town Pastors.

The Town Council’s grant fund for the 2012 / 2013 financial year will open in August 2012 with decisions made before the end of the December. Voluntary and Community Groups can apply for a grant of up to £500 in respect of project that benefit Stowmarket Residents. Application forms and guidance notes will be available for download from the Town Council website www.stowmarket.org nearer the time.

Town Clerk David Blackburn added, “We appreciate the importance of our grant scheme for local organisation and we have sought to achieve savings elsewhere to enable the grant scheme to continue in 2012 / 2013".