Published: Thursday, 2nd August 2018

A new funding pot of £510,000 to bring projects proposed by local residents to life in the Royal Borough's wards has been agreed at the Cabinet meeting on 24 July 2018.

Divided between the borough's 17 wards, each will receive £30,000 to cover a range of community initiatives, between now and 2022.

In the last round of ward funding, 139 community projects received funding, ranging from community and social schemes, environmental issues and well-being and health.

One successful project was for additional funding to go towards the installation of a new drinking water fountain at Shrewsbury Park, proposed by the Friends of Shrewsbury Park.

Responding to local needs and priorities

Councillor Christine Grice, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said:"The ward budget scheme provides a mechanism so that local ward councillors can respond directly to the local needs and priorities of the communities they represent.

"We want residents and community groups to put forward ideas to their local ward councillor, so that they can champion all these fantastic ideas that residents have.

"Having such in-depth knowledge of their local area, ward councillors can help bring together like-minded people to help put forward even bigger and better ideas for local projects."

What kind of projects are eligible for funding

Ward Budget funding should support initiatives that:

  • promote the well-being of the community and which are developed in response to local priorities and/or to meet a need identified from within the ward
  • look to provide additional funding where community groups are already making efforts to raise funds to support the project
  • are developed and monitored by local councillors, making use of their knowledge of local needs and priorities
  • have consensus across a ward or between wards
  • enhance the Council's community leadership role and promote civic pride.

To discuss your project ideas, contact your local ward councillor.