Community Chest invests to help the lives of West Suffolk residents

Community initiatives providing counselling, support, and improving the health and wellbeing of West Suffolk residents, are all to receive Community Chest funds.

More than 30 community groups, charities and voluntary organisations are to receive funding, following a decision by West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, February 9.

Since it first launched in 2015, Community Chest had already invested to more than £2.5 million in community initiatives designed to help West Suffolk residents. This figure does not include 2021/22 funding.

West Suffolk made £466,733 of Community Chest funding available for 2021/22 and the council received a record number of applications.

A Grant Working Party had to hold three meetings totalling some 12 hours to consider the 62 applications based on the information submitted and the scheme criteria. It then made recommendations to Cabinet for Community Chest grants totalling £466,733 to be made to 33 organisations. Yesterday, Cabinet agreed to those recommendations. The council will give advice to the remaining applicants including suggesting other funding schemes that they can approach.

This year, Community Chest will be investing in the following:

Reach Community Projects, Haverhill – £10,000; West Suffolk Citizens Advice, West Suffolk – £204,000; Friends of Priory School, Bury St Edmunds – £5,304; Haverhill Community Trust, Haverhill – £6,900; Student Life, West Suffolk – £5,000; Greener Growth CIC, West Suffolk – £2,660; Suffolk Accident and Rescue Service (SARS), West Suffolk – £10,000; Risby Village Hall, Risby – £1,340; St John’s Church, Beck Row – £2,000; Alumah CIO – £5,880; Bury Women’s Aid, West Suffolk – £6,280; Fresh Start New Beginnings, West Suffolk – £10,000; Relate, West Suffolk – £5,000; Suffolk Cruse Bereavement, West Suffolk – £5,738; Suffolk Rape Crisis, West Suffolk – £5,625; Best Before Project, Bury St Edmunds – £8,740; Epic Dads CIC, West Suffolk – £14,500; Homestart in Suffolk, West Suffolk – £7,000; Homestart Mid and West Suffolk – £9,510; Sharing Parenting – Family Outreach, West Suffolk – £13,000; St Peter’s Church, Brandon – £9,623; Art Branches CIC, West Suffolk – £9,600; Headway, West Suffolk – £6,240; Millennium Farm Trust, West Suffolk – £6,480; St Nicholas Hospice Trust, West Suffolk – £13,158; Suffolk Mind, West Suffolk – £5,360;  The Shed, West Row – £1,139; Bury Drop In, Bury St Edmunds – £11,996; Gatehouse, Bury St Edmunds – £15,000; Lightwave, Red Lodge and Beck Row – £6,000; Our Special Friends, West Suffolk – £10,660; The Voluntary Network, West Suffolk – £12,000; and West Suffolk Vineyard Church, Bury St Edmunds – £6,000;

The grants also include an additional £10,000 for REACH Haverhill and £5,000 for Relate.

Each grant was previously agreed in 2019/20 for projects separate to those above.

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