Community grants funding applications open next month

Christchurch City Council will open applications for the annual grants funding round to support community groups next month.

The Council’s community grant applications are open from Friday 15 February. The application opening and closing dates are:

· Strengthening Communities Fund (grants of over $5000)
· Applications open on Friday 15 February and close on Sunday 31 March 2013

· Small Grants Fund (grants of $5000 and under)
· Applications open on Tuesday 16 April and close on Friday 31 May 2013.

The Council will hold grants funding information sessions to ensure community organisations have the opportunity to seek information and have all their questions answered before they submit their applications for community funding.

The Council’s community funding information sessions begin on Thursday 31 January and run until Tuesday 23 April. The information sessions will be held at a number of venues throughout in the city.

Council Community Support Unit Manager Carolyn Gallagher says the Council annually allocates a significant amount of grants funding to community groups via the Strengthening Communities Fund and the Small Grants Fund.

“These funds play a key role in the building of strong communities. Applicants apply for funding and they are then assessed using a number of criteria. The Council’s Community Support Unit staff then make a recommendation to the Council (for metropolitan projects) or Community Boards (for local projects) - who then make the funding decisions.

“The Council granted funds of $6,915,566 to over 700 community groups in the 2012 / 2013 funding round for the Strengthening Communities Fund and the Small Grants Fund. These grants funded a range of community projects including a grant from the Small Grants Fund for the ‘Shine in the park’

community fun day in Shirley and a grant from the Strengthening Communities Fund which contributed to a ‘social connectedness’ programme to reduce social isolation for the elderly,’ she says.

For further information visit www.ccc.govt.nz/cityleisure/communityfunding or call the Council’s Customer Call Centre on 03 941 8999 or 0800 800 169.

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