A share of a £25,000 pot is up for grabs to organisations doing great work to benefit communities in Stafford Borough.

The Stafford Borough Council Small Grants scheme is open to groups and volunteers in the area who aim to make life better for residents.

The grants of up to £1,000 can be used to pay for a range of costs such as new equipment, training, or go towards the running of an event.

The fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Staffordshire – an independent charity whose aim is to strengthen local communities across the county. More than 90 projects have been supported by the scheme since 2016 to the tune of over £65,000.

The closing dates for applications is 31 May 2024 - with a decision expected on successful initiatives in middle of June. You can find out more, and apply, from Stafford Borough Council Small Grants - The Community Foundation for Staffordshire.

Among the groups that can apply are community and voluntary groups, registered charities, and social enterprises.

Previous recipients of the grants include ‘A Child of Mine’ - who support bereaved families - the Stafford branch of Parkinsons UK and a community group which helps tackle isolation for people over 55 years old.

To be eligible for an award you must be a voluntary or community group that benefits residents in Stafford Borough.

Councillor Jill Hood, Cabinet Member for Communities at the borough council, encouraged local groups not to miss out on the opportunity of securing extra funds.

She said: “We have some tremendous local voluntary groups and organisations across the borough who work unselfishly for the benefit of our communities and the small grants scheme is a way we can help support their ongoing work or make new initiatives come to life.

“I’d encourage people to submit an application as soon as possible if they think their work fits the criteria and could use the additional money to bring about a lasting benefit to the wider community or help increase their organisation’s sustainability.”

Press Release No 6111