More money available for sustainable Broads projects
Another £165,000 in government grants is up for grabs this year to promote sustainable development in the Broads.
The Broads Authority, along with the eight other national parks in England and some Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has been given the money by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to encourage local organisations and communities to come up with new ideas for achieving social, economic or environmental sustainability.
The Authority is particularly keen to encourage projects that promote sustainable tourism, renewable energy, social inclusion and education about sustainability. It also wants to target young people and support small community projects.
However Fund Administrator Nigel Dark said the Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) Panel was disappointed with the take-up of small grants, which go up to £1,000. The panel had ring-fenced £15,000 for small community and school projects last year but only received six applications for £3,700.
“This seems to reflect a general reluctance on the part of small organisations such as schools and parish councils to undertake small-scale fundraising - however simple the process,” he said. “We get the impression that small organisations are put off by form filling, but we do stress that our application process is extremely simple - a four page form to fill in and a quick decision once submitted.”
Since the fund was first set up in July 2002 the Broads Authority SDF Panel has awarded grants totalling more than £680,000 to 82 projects, which together are worth more than £2.5 million.
Seven new grants have been awarded during the new financial year:
- Nutmeg Puppet Company, which tours the Broads each August, has received two separate grants to take puppet shows and workshops on renewable energy and climate change into 20 Broads schools during 2006.
- Another small grant will allow pupils with special needs from the Ashley School, Lowestoft to go canoeing in the Broads to work towards their Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards.
- Norfolk Environmental Education Service has been awarded a £24,000 grant to complete ‘Broad Futures’, the highly successful ‘Learning for Sustainability’ programme for Broads schools that was begun by the How Hill Trust in 2003 and has since spread to other schools in Norfolk - and elsewhere.
- Small grants have also been awarded to two organisations that run sailing cruises in the Broads for youngsters. The Swan Sailing Expedition has received a grant to train two young people as instructors for its Easter Cruise and the Norwich Diocese’s ‘Cormorants’ will use their grant to part-fund a bursary scheme for their Sailing Holiday in October.
- The SDF Panel has also allocated a grant of up to £11,670 to Ellingham Primary School as part funding for a 5KW wind turbine that should generate more electricity than this ‘green’ school actually uses (the surplus will be sold to the National Grid). This project is due to start in early 2007.
The application form is simple and there are downloadable guidance notes. Even better, contact the Fund Administrator, Nigel Dark, on 01379 668750, who will be pleased to advise on your project’s suitability for SDF funding and send you an application pack.
17/07/2006
