The West Suffolk Council approved £260,000 in Thriving Communities Fund grants for 44 local community projects, supporting health and well-being.
The Thriving Communities Fund provides the money. This new fund supports local groups, benefitting charities and volunteer groups. The council approved the grants yesterday and will pay the money in April.
Donna Higgins spoke about the investments, stating they will help people facing struggles, including the cost of living. The projects also support health and well-being, aiming to boost confidence and skills.
The funding backs youth activities and also supports families. It assists people feeling lonely or isolated, while specialist support helps people who faced trauma, including abuse or loss.
The Thriving Communities Fund started in July, replacing Community Chest. The council agreed to a £650,000 support package, which covers the years 2025-2026.
The package includes several grants. The Thriving Communities Fund gets £266,733, while Citizen’s Advice West Suffolk gets £200,000 yearly for three years. Councillors control a £179,200 locality budget.
The Thriving Communities Fund was very popular, receiving 77 applications. The total requested was almost £1 million, and a group of councillors reviewed applications closely.
Grants went to many organizations, including Lightwave who got £1,489 and Still Good Food who received £5,085. Bury St Edmunds Rickshaw got £3,830, Abbeycroft-Explore Outdoor got £6,572, and BME Suffolk Support Group got £6,000. Bridge Community Church received £10,000, REACH Community Projects got £5,000, and Art Branches got £6,000. Haverhill Men’s Shed received £7,810, Project 21 got £5,000, and Second Chance Stroke Survivors got £2,000.
Steel Bones received £6,000, and Bury Drop In got £16,000. Catch 22 Suffolk received £6,000, while Cruse Bereavement Support received £1,000. EPIC Dad got £4,500, Families Together Suffolk got £12,000, and Green Light Trust got £3,000. Home-Start in Suffolk received £18,000, Hope after Suicide Loss received £1,000, and National Horseracing Museum got £4,500.
Oblique Arts received £2,703 and Our Special Friends got £7,500. PACT Suffolk received £10,000, while Rural Coffee Caravan received £5,000. Sporting Memories Foundation got £4,500, Suffolk Accident Rescue Service received £5,000, and Suffolk Mind got £5,748. The Voluntary Network received £5,000, Outreach Youth got £1,000, and The Offshoot Foundation received £3,000.
Game Anglia received £2,000, and Haverhill Community Trust £5,000. Lyward Colley Trust got £5,760, while Mildenhall Town Football Club got £5,000. St Nicholas Hospice Care got £10,936, Suffolk Family Carers got £8,000, and Theatre Royal received £6,000. Vogue Athletics received £5,000, Alumah received £8,000, and Brave Futures awarded £3,000. Compassion received £6,480, and Restore Women’s Aid got £15,000.
