HOUSING association Aster Communities has formed a Neighbourhood Panel with a group of Frome residents to help decide how to spend £16,000 it is making available each year to support local projects.
The panel, made up of Aster Communities customers and other local residents, will work alongside the company to decide how funding will be invested locally. It will meet every month to assess applications from local groups and will be joined by a representative from Frome Town Council.
Grant funding from between £100 and £5,000 will be available for projects benefiting the local community such as activities for children and young people, initiatives to support volunteers and anyone who wants to gain new skills or get into work, and environmental and estate upkeep schemes.
The panel is one of 28 Aster Communities is currently setting up across central southern and south west England. The panels are being set up as part of the company’s new Neighbourhood Approach, which aims to give local people a greater say in how Aster invests in their communities and make them better places to live.
Andrea England-Bird, chair of the Frome Neighbourhood Panel said, “The funding we have available will make a real difference to people living in Frome.
“We’re ready to start considering applications now, so if anyone running a project that will benefit local people and the wider community is looking for funding, we’d be delighted to hear from them.”
Margaret Wright, Aster Communities regional director for Somerset, Devon and Cornwall said, “One of our top priorities is to give something back to the communities we work in. We believe the new Neighbourhood Approach will give local people the chance to shape the areas they live in.
“Working alongside us, they’ll be able to help create a lasting legacy which will benefit future generations of people living there.”
For more information about grant funding or to join a neighbourhood panel, telephone Aster Communities on 01749 832040 or email commun itydevelopmentteam@astercommunities.co.uk.
