Spring grant round 2011

Greenham Common Trust will be able to help support more local charities and community organisations this year thanks to a substantial increase to its reactive grant aid.

The Trust is awarding well in excess of £300,000 in its two reactive grant rounds in 2011 and with the voluntary sector still feeling the pinch from Government cuts the extra money will be a welcome boost to local resident’s lives.

The Trust’s spring reactive grant round opens today (January 6) offering grants for local community, education, health, recreation & leisure, environmental and conservation projects in West Berkshire and the north western villages of North Hampshire.

Nearly 60 local charities and community organisations across West Berkshire and North Hampshire received funding in the autumn grant round 2010.

The Trust is particularly keen on helping disadvantaged members of the community.

Ufton Court Educational Trust received £18,000 to help build one of seven log cabins which will provide accommodations for up to 32 local children to experience outdoor environmental education programmes.

Director of Ufton Court Education Trust Mary Riall said: "West Berkshire has identified 1,843 disadvantaged children who would benefit from repeated visits that not only provide experiences of a new rural environment but also will raise aspirations and self confidence that can have a profound impact on their lives."

Dingley Family & Specialist Early Years Centres was awarded nearly £4,500 to run a series of parenting programmes to help children with special needs and disabilities learn through play.

Topics covered at the West Berkshire centre at Newbury Racecourse include learning through play in the home, music, laughter, nutrition and sensory activities.

There will also be the opportunity for parents to choose particular topics that they would like help with and part of the grant will fund specialist speakers.

One parent stressed how vital the service was in the local community.
"Dingley has been an absolute lifeline and one of the best things to happen in our lives to date," she said.

Centre Manager Carol Clements added: “We are very grateful to the Greenham Common Trust for giving us the opportunity to expand on the help we can offer to our parents. This grant will give the parents increased knowledge and understanding of a number of topics and the confidence to support their child's play and learning at home."

£5,000 - Wessex Children’s Hospice Trust (Naomi House) - towards a specialist community outreach nurse.
£5,891 - Growing 2Gether horticultural therapy project - to install an irrigation system
£2,500 - Motor Neurone Disease Association Reading and West Berkshire Branch - drop in sessions, newsletters, lunches, awareness raising events and complimentary therapy sessions
£1,860 - Contact the Elderly - to support older people in the community and improve their quality of life.
Over £30,000 – local education projects
£5,000 – Hungerford Royal British Legion – to help replace the Legion’s leaking roof
£5,000 – Berkshire MS Therapy Centre – one-to-one physiotherapy sessions for local members

Greenham Common Trust chief executive Stuart Tagg said: "Our two rounds of reactive annual grants assist many charitable organisations to help local people lead happier and healthier lives as well as giving disadvantaged people opportunities they would not normally have access to."

The Trust's next grant round opens today (January 6) and the closes on February 11.

Please call Melissa Elliott for any advice and assistance on 01635 817445. Applications forms will be available online, by post or can be collected in person at Liberty House, The Enterprise Centre, New Greenham Park, Newbury RG19 6HW.