South Cambridgeshire District Council ups Community Chest to £1,500
South Cambridgeshire Discrict Council has increased its Community Chest Grants scheme from £1,000 to £1,500, allowing communities to make more substantial purchases and deliver bigger projects.
The scheme is available to voluntary and community sector groups, charities, parish councils and public sector bodies for one-off costs relating to a project or activity – these include improvements to community facilities such as youth schemes, play areas, sports pavilions and village halls. The relatively simple application form takes about 20 minutes to complete.
So far this financial year, £22,000 has been awarded for projects through the scheme – and funding is still available.
Cllr Ray Manning, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “The new maximum for successful applications will give groups a better chance to make a real difference in their area and leave a lasting legacy. The Council’s youth councillors will consider all applications for project funding targeted at people aged up to 18 years old.”
Isabella Marshall, Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Youth Council, said: “The youth council has helped give young people a voice on the issues that affect them most – it's really good news we are going to be at the heart of grant applications too.
"As well as assessing the applications, we are very willing to provide advice to any community group embarking on a project aimed at helping young people.”
To find out more about the scheme, visit www.scambs.gov.uk/content/community-chest-grants-201314, contact Joseph Minutolo on joseph.minutolo@scambs.gov.uk / 01954 713359 or contact the Youth Council at www.facebook.com/SCYouthCouncil.
Making a home for nature
A new initiative has been launched to protect and support wildlife in the built surroundings of South Cambridgeshire.
In a move to help more villages go green, South Cambridgeshire District Council is making energy efficiency improvements to a number of properties within its housing stock, making them some of the most environmentally friendly in the country.
The improvements are aimed at helping tenants reduce energy bills and play their part in tackling climate change by retrofitting energy efficient technologies such as exterior wall insulation.
The loss of wall cracks and crevices can, however, create a problem for wildlife. There are certain species that rely heavily on buildings for survival, especially in built up areas, such as bats and birds.
To combat this, the Council is installing locally designed and built bird and bat boxes. These offer an unobtrusive way to create safe, warm and sustainable nesting sites in existing buildings.
They are fitted at the same time as wall insulation and provide a separate wildlife habitat within the structure of existing walls, helping attract wildlife to the property and conserve biodiversity in our villages.
All tenants whose property is considered suitable will be contacted by the Council and asked if they would like a box fitted. There are three types of bird box available and one type of bat box.
Cllr Mark Howell, housing portfolio holder, said: “We are extremely pleased to be creating new habitats and encouraging more wildlife to our villages. With major new developments planned for the district, we want to make sure we create the very best new homes for both people and wildlife.
“Many urban birds are on the decline and it is hoped these boxes will encourage house sparrows, swifts, blue tits, great tits and bats to continue to live in the area, where they add colour and music to our streets and play an important role in controlling pests like mosquitos.”
Tenants particularly keen to receive a box should contact the Council on 03450 450 500 to arrange a visit from the ecology officer.
Most vulnerable continue to be protected as Council Tax support scheme agreed
SCDC Councillors have confirmed the most vulnerable people in South Cambridgeshire will continue to be protected from a reduction in Council Tax support which ensures people in need of help to pay their Council Tax still receive it.
The localised scheme was introduced last year after the Government passed on the responsibility for administering it to local councils while also cutting the money provided to pay the benefit by around £1 million.
The scheme, from April in South Cambridgeshire, will continue to see the same amount of help given to claimants – including continued protection for pensioners, those with disabilities, their careers, as well as lone parents with children under five – which totals around three quarters of households claiming support.
To offset the reduction in money from Government, the Council removed discounts for people who own an empty or second property in the district last April. This money has been used to support vulnerable groups on low incomes.
A 50% council tax premium is now also charged on properties that remain empty for more than two years to encourage them to be brought back into use.
Over the last 12 months, the number of people claiming support has also fallen - an indication the economy locally is picking up and more people have been able to find employment or a better paid job.
Cllr Simon Edwards, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance, said: “By taking away some exemptions and discounts for those with second homes we were able to manage the reduction in national funding and protect those most in need.
"It is really good news we have seen the number of claimants fall and by supporting businesses and helping them create more jobs, we are aiming for this trend to continue.
"Most families continue to be able to pay their Council Tax bill following a number of national benefit changes, but where people are struggling we are providing additional targeted discretionary housing payments to support them in the short term.
If you find yourself struggling with your finances and are in need of help please contact us early so we can see if you are eligible.”
South Cambridgeshire District Council
T 03450 450 500.
F 01954 713 149.
E scdc@scambs.gov.uk.
W www.scambs.gov.uk.
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