Dozens of groups to benefit from cash boost (From Your Local Guardian)

Dozens of groups to benefit from cash boost

7:30am Friday 17th February 2012 in Wandsworth

Community groups across Wandsworth have been given a boost after 44 organisations were awarded culture grants totalling £55,912.

Among the groups that have benefitted from the money are a trust which created a large scale ‘Meadow of Flowers’ visual arts project with help from individuals and families living on an estate, and an organisation that staged a peace concert at the town hall.

Between April, 2011, and January this year, Wandsworth Council approved 44 grant applications to support community organisations or events - to the benefit of around 31,000 people.

The funding has been provided by the council’s Wandsworth Cultural Wealth Fund, which is a small grant scheme designed to create opportunities for residents to participate and engage in cultural activities.

It also aims to assist voluntary and community organisations to improve cultural facilities and to promote cultural activities, especially to hard to reach groups.

Earlsfield-based theatre organisation Tara Arts Group Ltd secured £5,000 in order to conduct a feasibility study into a proposed redevelopment of the Tara Arts Studio, in Garratt Lane.

A £775 grant was awarded to the Friends of Tooting Common to pay for a professional chainsaw artist to carve green oak in order to produce a bench on the common - and to enable the group to purchase five bat detection boxes.

Regenerate Rise received approval for £1,000 for a cultural Kings and Queens event for 300 older people in Roehampton while a group called Storm used a £2,000 grant to stage a peace concert in the town hall’s Civic Suite.

The council also awarded £3,000 to Roehampton Trust Ltd for a ‘Meadow of Flowers’ large scale visual arts project on the Alton estate. Some 935 flowers were made by individuals and families who live on the estate, a local primary school and two community groups.

Along with the culture grants, a £2,962 Library Halls grant is to be shared between the University of the Third Age (Earlsfield and Balham), The Earlsfield Townswomen’s Guild and Balham Milap Group.

All three rent out space at borough libraries in order to provide social activities for older people.

The first submission deadline for grants in 2012 is scheduled to be March 23. The maximum grant that can be applied for is £5,000 or £10,000 for building improvements.

For more information visit or to request and application form, call 020 8871 6365 or visit wandsworth.gov.uk/culturalwealthfund.