The closing date for rural groups to apply for financial support from Ryedale District Council’s Rural Community Grant Scheme is fast approaching.
Parish councils and grassroot community groups and organisations working on rural projects in the district’s sparsely populated areas have until Monday 21 November 2022 to send applications in, if they haven’t already.
Ryedale councillors earlier this year proposed and approved £160,000 of funding to be used for the grants, which support sustainability, resilience and the viability of remote, rural communities, helping them thrive.
Each parish with a population of 1,500 people has been allocated £1,467 in grant funding to ensure it is equally distributed to rural communities.
Individual projects can apply up to the amount or alternatively, multiple parishes can submit a collaborative bid for up to the total amount allocated to the Ward area, showing that the project will make a positive contribution to at least one of the rural priorities set out in the eligibility criteria.
Therefore, if groups spread across the Sherburn Ward, for example, wish to apply individually, they could apply for up to £1,467, or through a collaborative application could apply for up to £5,868, which is allocated to the Sherburn Ward.
The scheme is also open to previous applicants of the standard Community Grant Scheme, subject to meeting eligibility criteria.
Margaret Wallace, Director for People and Resources at Ryedale District Council, said: “We encourage all our local community groups, organisations and parish councils covering our district to take this unique opportunity and apply for these grants before the scheme closes.
“The funding could make a difference to our rural communities, especially in light of the rising cost of energy bills, therefore projects aimed at the creation of warm hubs around winter could directly benefit.
“It may also be the difference in creating safer places to live, improving the economic or social resilience of rural communities, or go a long way to help improve IT and broadband connections.”
For further information, including full details on eligibility criteria and a breakdown of eligible parishes, along with guidance on how to apply, please visit here.
Decisions on successful applicants, after applications have been sent by 21 November 2022, are expected on or before Thursday 9 February 2023.
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