NHDC awards grant to ten not for profit groups

PR Date: Wednesday, 10 June 2020 - 12:00pm

North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) has awarded nearly £325,000 to community buildings across North Hertfordshire to help secure their long-term future.

The money was awarded as part of the NHDC’s Community Facilities Capital Grant Funding Scheme which exists to provide funds for the enhancement of urban community facilities and rural village halls. Funding helps with improvements and renovation to keep buildings fit for purpose so they can be used by local communities into the future.

The NHDC Capital Grants Member Panel recommended the following groups funding for their respective buildings: *

• Royston Royal British Legion Club Ltd received £49,431 towards the refurbishment of the building.
• Baldock Community Association received £50,000 towards the refurbishment of toilet facilities, reception area, small hall and office areas of Baldock Community Centre.
• Baldock Methodist Church received £32,251 towards the refurbishment of kitchen and toilet facilities.
• Cassel Memorial Hall in Lilley received £21,654, towards the replacement of part of the old felt roofing, refurbishment of the toilets, replacement of windows and the addition of a patio.
• Hitchin Business Improvement District received £27,800 towards major improvements to the Hitchin Information Centre in order to make it a more inviting, accessible and a generally improved centre for the local community to use.
• Getting Rooted CIC received £10,000 towards the provision of a classroom sized heated greenhouse for food growing, sharing and educational purposes at the Ron’s Plot community gardening project located at Burford Way Allotments, Hitchin.
• Letchworth and Baldock District Scouts received £26,284 towards renovations to roof and flooring at the Scout Head Quarters in Icknield Way.
• Letchworth Garden City Community Group received £32,000 towards the Replacement of the heating system in Mrs Howard Memorial Hall on Norton Way.
• Ravidassia Community Centre received £25,000 towards the refit of a kitchen at their centre in Hitchin.
• Our Lady & St. Andrew Parish Church received £50,000 towards replacing their existing wooden hut with a two-storey community facility consisting of two community halls on Grove Road, Hitchin.

Cllr Judi Billing, NHDC’s Executive Member for Community Engagement said: “By awarding these grants, we will be helping these organisations improve their facilities and prospects for the good of their communities, as soon as they can reopen after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We know that financial pressures are a challenge for many community groups, especially in the current climate and we hope that these grants will enable them to continue the fantastic work they do in our communities.”

To find out more visit www.north-herts.gov.uk/home/community/grants/community-facilities-capital-projects-fund

* The panel were due to meet on 25 March 2020 to approve the funding. The meeting was cancelled due to the Covid-19 situation, therefore the Community Facilities Capital and District Wide Grants Panel Members were requested to provide an indication as to how they would have voted and any comments to guide the decision maker. This was followed up by a telephone conference call on 12 May 2020 with the Panel members and the Executive member for Community Engagement.