LET’S DO IT Community Fund supports neighbourhood activities

Fifty-eight voluntary groups from across Bury’s communities have been successful in applying for support through the LET’S Do It! Community Fund.

The money will be used to support a range of activities from exercise to e-learning and mental health to meals.

Bury Council has made £100,000 from its budget available for vital community activity in each of the borough’s neighbourhoods to support the delivery of the priorities of the ‘LET’S Do It! Community Strategy’.

More than 80 applications were received from voluntary and community groups across the borough.

The funding allocations were determined by a combination of scoring through colleagues at the Bury Voluntary & Community Faith Alliance; public services working in each of the neighbourhoods drawn from Six Town Housing, Public Health, the Beacon Services and from respective ward councillors in each neighbourhood.

Successful applications include:

• A Winter Youth Club.
• Winter Warmers Lunch clubs and community café schemes.
• Digital inclusion schemes, including expansion into a homework club.
• Targeted physical activity sessions for communities of experience who traditionally don’t access mainstream provision.
• Tailored support for people with learning disabilities to keep well and connected.
• Classes to increase confidence and ability in reading.
• Upskilling isolated young people in and schemes to provide free sports.
• Environmental improvement works to increase walking, access and means for ‘Friends of’ groups to increase their activity.
• Initiatives to increase civic pride.

Councillor Richard Gold, Cabinet Member for Communities and Finance, said: “The number and breadth of applications received through the LET’S Do It! Community Fund shows the range of great activities that groups in neighbourhoods across the borough deliver to support local people.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to support the successful groups to deliver initiatives that provide targeted assistance to address local priorities and improve lives of Bury residents.

“I’d like to thank all those involved in these groups, and our wider voluntary and community sector for all of your work during another busy year. I look forward to seeing these schemes first hand over the coming months and encourage everyone to get involved with local community activity – make it your new year’s resolution!”

Further details will be shared about the successful schemes including how you can get involved.

In the meantime you can get involved in local community activity by finding out more about community groups where you live through The Bury Directory https://theburydirectory.co.uk/ and make volunteering your new year’s resolution:

https://www.buryvcfa.org.uk/volunteering/