North Warwickshire Community Partnership

A range of community projects in North Warwickshire are set to benefit from an £80,000 grant awarded jointly by the Borough and County Councils.

The grant was divided equally between North Warwickshire's four Area Forums, which met last October to consider the range of projects submitted. The grant submissions had to demonstrate that they supported any of the three aims of the North Warwickshire Sustainable Community Strategy : building healthier communities; raising aspirations, educational attainment and skills and improving access to services.

Councillor Colin Hayfield, Leader of North Warwickshire Borough Council and Chair of the North Warwickshire Community Partnership said:

"North Warwickshire Borough Council is a key partner in North Warwickshire's Community Partnership, which delivers the Sustainable Community Strategy. Our investment of £40,000, matched by the County Council's Area Committee, demonstrates our commitment to raising educational attainment, reducing health inequalities and tackling the problems of rural access "

County Councillor Tilly May, Chair of the North Warwickshire Area Committee added:

" We are pleased to be supporting a range of projects that will benefit local people. The grants will help deliver projects that address important issues including helping people who have difficulty accessing benefits advice to encouraging people to exercise through developing walking groups. "

Amongst the successful projects is the popular 'Cook and Taste' programme, where cookery sessions for families encourage healthy eating. There will be an extension to 'The Garden Buddy Scheme', for volunteers to improve the gardens of elderly and disabled residents. Whilst 'Lofty Ambitions' and 'Boost' will offer help for home energy improvements such as loft and cavity wall insulation.

Locality youth forums in all four areas will enable young people to discuss local issues and influence decision making and there will also be support for young people wanting to attend college. The Peer Mentoring Scheme will train 48 students at four schools as mentors to offer practical and emotional support to younger children about to move to secondary school.

Councillors at the Area Forums made their final selection at the recent round of meetings in January and the projects will be underway in the next few months.