Grants handed to community groups (From Your Local Guardian)

Anti knife group and bowling green among Croydon grant winners

5:30am Monday 24th September 2012 in Top Stories By Andrew Bloss

Ten voluntary and community organisations have secured funding from the council’s small grants fund.

Each year £100,000 is awarded to groups who are developing new ways of meeting local needs.

The Friends of Marlpit Lane Bowling Green Group, in Coulsdon, was awarded a £5,000 grant towards the cost of restoring the green, which has been there since 1940.

The group was set up in June 2012 to take over the maintenance of the green from the Council. Councillor Terry Lenton, who organised the group, said she was delighted that they had been awarded funding.

She said: "This has been achieved thanks to the efforts of volunteers working for the Friends Group and to the support of local residents and bowls players.

"The Friends now plan to restore the bowling green so that bowlers can start playing there again next Spring."

Other groups that received funding included Lives Not Knives, a peer support group for Croydon dads, Kenley Memorial Hall and a Hindu Youth Group amongst others.

Councillor Sara Bashford, cabinet member for corporate and voluntary services said: "The small grants fund is a new way of working with local groups in a way that delivers for communities."

Round four of the awards will be launched in October for projects starting in April.