A FUNDING pot for good causes and community organisations is calling for applicants in the Stanley area.

The Stanley Community Fund is welcoming bids from groups for grants between £2,000 and £10,000 to fund projects that will benefit people and communities in and around the County Durham town.

The fund was initially set up in 2019 and is supported by Stanley Town Council, as an innovative way to try to maximise funding into the Stanley Town Council area. In year one of the fund, more than £120,000 was available to groups for projects within the Stanley Area.

Stanley Town Council Leader, Les Timbey said: “The Stanley Community Fund is a valued, reliable source of much-needed investment for many voluntary groups and community organisations across Stanley and surrounding villages.

“This year, more than any other, the funding will be essential to keep many of these valued programmes, venues and services going, as access to money becomes increasingly difficult due to the ongoing fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I would urge all groups and individuals looking for investment to apply to the Fund, which is simple, straightforward and distributed quickly.”

Stanley Town Council re-allocated its Strategic Grant Fund budget earlier in the year as the pandemic started to take hold. It put together a COVID-19 emergency support package to ensure community facilities could remain open and continue to deliver vital services. As a result, the Council will not be able to distribute its Stanley Strategic Grant Fund applications in 2020-21.

Town Clerk, James Black, said: “In these challenging times, the Stanley Community Fund is incredibly important, and may even be a lifeline for many vital community groups.

“During the pandemic, our voluntary organisations and public venues have provided an incredible service for people. Making sure they continue to be able to do that is vital, so this fund launch could not come at a better time.”

Stanley’s Just for Women, which provides counselling, adult learning and support for vulnerable people, successfully applied to the Community Fund last year to help improve its crafting courses and enhance its face-to-face counselling provision.

PACT House, a community hub and food bank, received a grant for nearly £10,000 from the Stanley Community Fund to part fund the salary of its facilities manager.

Trustee Darren McMahon said: “This funding makes a genuine difference to people’s lives, and allows us to provide support, hope, food and a safe haven for those who need it most.

“I would urge any individuals, groups or organisations to get their applications in soon. 2021 will hopefully be the year we bounce back from the pandemic, and this fund is another weapon in our armoury as we fight back.”

The fund is managed by County Durham Community Foundation, which has also contributed £45,000 to the programme. Funding from Stanley Area Action Partnership, DCMS and Labour MP Kevan Jones, contributed to the original funding pot. The Foundation has been funding projects in the area for more than a decade, to a total of half a million pounds, which has supported 123 community groups and benefitted 25,000 people.

Grants between £2,000 and £10,000 are available, but in exceptional circumstance, grants in excess of £10,000 may be considered.

Priority for funding is given to organisations in the areas of Annfield Plain, Catchgate, Craghead and South Stanley, Havannah, South Moor, Stanley Hall and Tanfield

For more information of the fund and how to apply, visit the website at www.cdcf.org.uk./apply-for-a-grant/grants-for-groups/the-stanley-community-fund/