Community groups urged to apply for share of £270,000

The funding is being distributed through South Oxfordshire District Council’s Councillor Community Grant Scheme, which offers up to £7,500 per councillor for non-profit organisations, including voluntary groups, and town and parish councils.

Georgina Heritage, cabinet member for communities at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “Out of all the grants we offer this one is personal for our council members.

“We’re able to directly support organisations in our ward that we see make a difference to our communities every day.

“We give organisations plenty of time to get in touch with their ward member and discuss funding they need, but we would encourage them to get those emails or phone calls in early so that we can review the projects and funding being requested.”

Past recipients have included mental health support groups for children, sporting equipment, memorial benches, and solar panels for community buildings.

In the 2024/25 round, the charity TRAIN was awarded funding to help plan and set up activities for young people in Didcot and Wallingford over the summer holidays.

Ben Drabble, CEO of TRAIN, said: “For a lot of our young people, summer can be a really isolating time.

“This programme meant they had something to look forward to and experiences they’ll remember.

“Some of them did things they’d never done before.”

Applications for the 2024/25 round opened on Monday, August 17, and will close at 12pm on Friday, December 4.

Full details are available on the council’s grants webpage.