The final call for applications to the second round of awards from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s £30,000 Community Fund is being made this week.
Projects that will benefit communities on the Isles of Scilly and in West Cornwall have until the end of the month (August) to apply for a grant.
Bids to the Community Fund are open to voluntary groups or charities, schools and education establishments, community clubs or societies, and individuals undertaking not-for-profit projects for the benefit of the wider community.
Grants of between £150 and £2,000 will support projects that will benefit communities on the Isles of Scilly and in West Cornwall.
One Scilly family is currently in the middle of an 850-mile unsupported charity cycle ride from John O’Groats to Lands End, thanks to a £650 grants from the Community Fund.
Jewls and Michelle Morel, and their sons Finley, 14 and Shea, 11, are using the money to pay for all their travel expenses along the way.
Jewls said: “The grant we received from the Community Fund has made this whole journey possible – we couldn’t have done it without it. It’s a dream come true for our family, and the experience of a lifetime for our boys.
“We can’t thank the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group enough, and would encourage anyone thinking of applying for a grant to do it.”
Other recipients of the first round of awards include:
- £1,500 towards a new marquee for Guides and Brownies groups on the islands. The marquee allowed the groups to host their first joint camp earlier this month.
- £2,000 towards a creative literacy project working with children on the Isles of Scilly, Mousehole, Newlyn and Penzance, taking the history of Royal Mail Ships as inspiration. Workshops took place on the islands in June.
- £150 to help convert St Erth’s Christmas lights to low-energy LEDs in time for Christmas 2016
- £1,000 to support the charity Young Enterprise to deliver hands on enterprise and financial education programmes in schools in West Penwith. The money will pay for next year’s programme.
Terry Ward, chairman of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s Community Fund, said: “The Community Fund has already made a significant difference to several excellent projects on the islands and in West Cornwall and we would like to invite anyone who is currently involved in a project which would benefit our local communities, or anyone who has a creative vision which they would like to see come to fruition, apply for our round two funding.
“As a major local employer the Steamship Group is delighted to be able give something back to the communities we serve and our committee will look forward to meeting again to assess some of the new, exciting and worthwhile applications that will no doubt be put forward.”
Full details, eligibility criteria and application forms are available from the Steamship Group’s website and the recipients will be announced later this year. All projects are judged by members of an independent community fund panel.