Jubilee fund to be launched

The Jubilee Grants scheme will benefit voluntary and community groups as well as sports organisations in the area.

It has been introduced to celebrate both the Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics and the money must be used to provide a legacy for the club or organisation. The scheme will go before the council’s cabinet next week for approval.

An organisation can apply for grants for one off expenditure up to a maximum of £10,000 which has to go towards enhancing facilities, obtaining equipment or buying land, for example.

The proposal, which will be heard by the cabinet on Tuesday (24 January), is for the cash to be administered by the Staffordshire Environmental Fund - for voluntary and community groups - and Sport Stafford Borough for sporting organisations. In recent years the Environmental Fund has been responsible for approving high profile projects such as Stafford Castle’s Woodland Trail and a replacement clubhouse for the successful Stafford and Stone Canoe club.

Details of how to apply for the funding will be unveiled soon if the new scheme is given the green light by the cabinet.

Leader of Stafford Borough Council, Mike Heenan, said: “We know how important our community and voluntary sector and sporting organisations are in providing opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.

“And in a year in which we celebrate both the Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics we want those organisations to mark these occasions by undertaking projects which will have a lasting benefit for our community.”

Press Release No 4430