Councillors sitting on Annandale and Eskdale area committee last week agreed to split its tackling poverty and inequalities budget of £29,767 to groups involved in supporting disabled people, promoting sport, and providing food to the needy.
Community groups were invited to make applications to the fund for a maximum grant of £5000 each, explaining how the money would be spent for the benefit of locals.
Fourteen applications were received, two of which were refused following a point scoring system.
It was agreed that the funding available would be split as follows:
DG Voice, ‘making ends meet’ project supporting disabled children, adults and their families during the economic crisis, £2500.
The First Base emergency food project, £2500.
Newstart Recycle, providing affordable furniture and household goods to people in the community, £3750.
Upper Eskdale Development Group for warm hub and lunch club, £2500.
All Saints Episcopal Church, for staging a soup and pud event monthly and a coffee and chat group weekly, £1750.
Annan Athletic Community Football’s Black and Gold Foundation, offering free block of football to kids during winter, £3750.
D&G HandyVan, for fitting interlinked heat and smoke alarms free of charge to the most needy, £3750.
Eastriggs Primary School Parent Council, breakfast club, £2850.
Hecklegirth Fundraisers/Parent Council, school breakfast club. £2193.75
Hecklegirth Fundraisers/Parent Council, providing warm, waterproof suits for kids to play in nursery garden in wet weather, £490.
Gretna Supporters Society’s 10-week football-based health and wellbeing project for primary school children, £1875.
Annan Athletic FC, funding will allow the U13 youth side to develop and progress to 11-a-side football. £1859 – remaining budget.
Raydale Community Partnership sought funding for floodlights, while Gretna and Rigg Community Council applied for cash for communication purposes, but both failed to score enough points to secure funding.
