Significant council grant helps volunteer service become a “permanent fixture”
A community group that supports residents in Cholsey has been able to significantly expand its service thanks to a community capacity grant from Oxfordshire County Council.
Cholsey Volunteers received £12,500 from the council’s larger grants programme last year. Grants awarded are designed to support the adult social care Oxfordshire Way vision of enabling people to live happily and independently within their own communities, remaining fit and healthy for as long as possible.
Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, said: "It’s great to see residents coming together to make use of this significant council funding, building community resilience and supporting each other.
“Due to the large sums of money made available through the community capacity grants, groups and organisations like the Cholsey Volunteers are able to make a considerable difference to the lives of people living in the local area.”
In contrast to the council’s smaller connected communities fund, which offers local groups quick access to funding of up to £5,000, the community capacity grants give organisations the opportunity to apply for up to £20,000.
The funding pot is administered by Oxfordshire Community Foundation and given the large sums of money involved, the application process is complex, involving an assessment panel to decide who is successful.
For Cholsey Volunteers, last year’s funding has enabled them to enhance their service for residents, including the development of a community larder and food bank as well as a new Cholsey Welcome Space for villagers to meet and socialise.
The grant has also enabled them to increase the amount of people they support, with their hospital driver service providing 100 more lifts in the last year. Their meal delivery service has also seen a 46 per cent increase in the number of people they support, sharing out 2,600 meals, 1,560 treat bags and 1,976 food boxes in the last year.
Jane Tyndall, Development Officer with Cholsey Volunteers, said: “We are enormously grateful for the financial support we have received through the council’s community capacity grants.
“This has not just helped us to survive and grow but has enabled us to become what seems like a permanent fixture in the village and encouraged a huge number of ‘can do’ people to get involved. The village is a far richer place for it.”
Find out more about Cholsey Volunteers, including how to get involved, on its website.
More information about the support offered by Oxfordshire Community Foundation can be found online.
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