The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) has just awarded £5,000 to a community group on the Isle of Wight at its first Grassroots Grants panel but the good news for other local groups is that there is still over £50,000 to distribute this year.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation declared the Government’s groundbreaking Grassroots Grants scheme open for business at the Isle of Wight Community Fund Launch in July and called on small local voluntary and community groups on the Island to come forward and get their hands on £190,000 of essential funding.

“Community groups are at the heart of building stronger communities” explained Toni Shaw, CEO at HIWCF, “and we are delighted to award this first Grassroots grant in support of the Cowes Concert Band for their new uniforms” she added “ we would like to encourage other groups across the Island to apply to this innovative new grants scheme which can provides support for hundreds of local small communities groups” Whether it’s helping local clubs get hold of new kit, coaching new volunteers or simply giving the village hall a fresh lick of paint, Grassroots Grants aim to make a real and immediate difference explained Toni, she added “Grants are available from between £250 to £5,000 to voluntary and community groups with annual incomes below £20,000.

Businesses across the Island are also invited to get involved through investing in the scheme’s innovative endowment match challenge – the first of its kind in England.  So if you run a small, local community group on the Island including, parent and toddler or after school groups, youth clubs, physical and mental health issue groups, social, arts, sport and recreation, cultural groups, ethnic and other minority groups and training and learning groups, and have an annual income of less than £20,000 pa – take a look at the Isle of Wight Community Fund website to see if you might qualify for a Grassroots grant www.hantscf.org.uk/iwcf or email HIWCF at
infograssroots@hantscf.org.uk.