Good causes cash in
Local good causes have cashed in to the tune of £84,000 at the annual Mansfield District Council grant-in-aid awards.
Mansfield District Council has backed 26 individuals and groups from across the area with financial support for equipment, events, travel expenses and running costs. The grants range from £200 to £55,300.
This year awards were split into three sections: sport and leisure; promotion of the arts and community and voluntary.
Amongst the recipients of grants for 2008/09 were:
- Mansfield Olympic Gym Club, which received £300 towards the cost of an open-end trampette.
- Runner Christie Childs who received £250 towards entry fees, travel expenses and physio and training costs.
- Gold medal winning martial arts specialist Kerry Reeve who received £200 towards travel, kit and entry fees.
- Relate, based at Nottingham Road, Mansfield received £300 towards the costs of providing relationship and family counselling.
- Homestart Mansfield received £1,800 to help support families in the district with children aged five and under.
- Mansfield Citizens Advice Bureau was awarded £55,300 to assist its day-to-day running costs in helping hundreds of local people resolve their legal, financial and other problems through independent, impartial and confidential support.
- The Royal British Legion received £2,000 towards staging the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Palace Theatre on Sunday 28th October.
- Mansfield Music and Drama Festival was supported through a £900 grant towards the cost of venue hire and adjudicator fees.
Mansfield District Council's Deputy Mayor and Portfolio Holder for Resources, Coun Roger Sutcliffe presented the awards.
Coun Sutcliffe said: "The grant-in-aid awards are a great investment. Many of the organisations we help provide important services to thousands of local people and the individuals help to raise Mansfield's profile and act as great ambassadors for our district."
"Deciding on the many grant-in-aid applications we receive is one of the hardest jobs we have to do; I wish we had got a bottomless pit of money to support even more good causes with even larger grants.
"Even the smallest grants can make a huge difference. It was great to hear what the recipients were spending the money on and how it has helped them to support various performances, outings and facilities.