Big Local’s small grants to benefit North-East Hastings residents
At a recent meeting of its Small Grants Sub-Committee, Big Local North-East Hastings agreed to grant more than £15,000 to 14 organisations to offer a wide range of services and events to local residents in the coming months.
These included:
- Hastings Storytelling Festival for two performances of Ling Nose puppets at Sandown School as part of the town’s annual festival.
- Touring puppet company, Idolrich Theatre Rotto for performances and creative workshops at the Ore Centre in which local children and their families will explore flora and fauna from the Cretaceous period, making puppets and performing their own show entitled ‘Cretaceous Landscapes’;
- Provision of non-perishable food to supplement the offer of food by Dom’s Food Mission at Broomgrove Community Centre;
- Ore in Bloom to provide hanging baskets in and around Ore Village;
- Sporting Club Pass + Move for new football kits for young players of all abilities and backgrounds.
Other grants will support those recovering from drug misuse, literacy and numeracy support for children, training for volunteers in Speckled Wood and activities for older residents of the Broomgrove area.
Richard Street, Chair of the Resident-Led Partnership which decides the Big Local’s spending, said: “Once again we are delighted to support these amazing organisations in our local community to offer such a wide range of support of all kinds for our neighbours. Given the continued uncertainty over Covid, we weren’t sure what sort of response to expect but, even at very short notice, we had a record number of applications. We may not be able to change people’s lives but we can make them that bit better.”
Big Local North-East Hastings is always happy to welcome local residents to join its Partnership and help ensure that funding decisions match the priorities of the local community. Anybody interest should contact Jan@hastingsvoluntaryaction.org and visit our Facebook page and website Welcome! | Big Local North East Hastings.
Full list of grants awarded:
| Organisation | Project name | Description | Amount |
| Education Futures Trust | Early Growth through Storytelling and Forest Fun | Purchase of specialist equipment for early years projects to parents and children under 5 years | £1,066 |
| East Sussex Recovery Alliance | ESRA Volunteer Support | Training, expenses and support for volunteers | £1,066 |
| Hastings Story Telling Festival | Ling Nose Puppets and Artist in Residence at Sandown School | Two performances | £1,066 |
| Idol Rich | Cretaceous Landscapes | Materials and staffing for 2 participative, creative workshops | £1,066 |
| Men’s Shed | Re-placing Workshop Light Fittings | Purchase and installation of LED lighting | £374 |
| Oasis | Oasis 2021 group activities | Room hire and materials/equipment for sessions | £1,066 |
| Oasis | Food bag project | Non-perishable food | £1,066 |
| Oasis | Class Ten | Pilot to help children with maths and literacy | £1,050 |
| Ore Church Mice | Garden Transformation | Purchase of planters | £1,030 |
| Ore in Bloom | Hanging Baskets in Ore | Maintenance of existing baskets plus free basket workshop | £1,060 |
| Sensory Soft Play | Sensory Soft Play Respite Sessions | Staffing, venue hire and materials for sessions | £1,066 |
| The Conservation Volunteers | Speckled Wood | Staff time for Training of volunteers | £1,050 |
| SC Pass + Move | New football kit for players | Purchase of 20 kits | £1,000 |
| Gap Project | Bedgebury | Mountain-biking day | £1,066 |
| Gap Project | Summer workshop Fun and insurance costs | £1,066 | |
| £15,158 |
Big Local is a ten year, resident led programme that provides at least £1m to each of 150 communities in England. Big Local is funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and managed by Local Trust.
Big Local North East Hastings is administered locally by Hastings Voluntary Action.
