Sussex Council Approves Nearly £250k In Community Grants

Thursday, 7 November 2024 14:53

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Cabinet councillors today (Thursday November 7) agreed almost £250,000 in community grants to 20 local charities and projects supporting a range of causes and helping residents through the cost of living crisis.

The programme was hugely oversubscribed with more than 50 applications submitted across two categories, far exceeding the budget.

Among the beneficiaries in the ‘Cost of Living Crisis Support’ category are community hubs, day centres, support for older people, youth clubs as well as vital infrastructure support for charities and community groups and continued funding for Lewes District Citizens Advice which offers information and advice on a range of issues including welfare, benefits, housing and employment rights, as well as debt.

The second category of ‘Equality and Inclusion’ will see grants awarded to disability groups and community events.

Councillor Johnny Denis, Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture, Tourism & Leisure, said:

“This grants programme is a key part of our commitment to supporting the local voluntary sector and helps make a real difference to the lives of residents across Lewes district.

"This is especially true when East Sussex County Council is already consulting on cuts to support for our vulnerable residents and further wholesale cuts to many key services are round the corner.

“The cost of living crisis continues to affect many people in our area, particularly the most vulnerable amongst us, so I am pleased this was the main focus in this round of grants.”

Successful applicants will receive the first of three annual grants in 2025.

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