MEMBERS of an authority are set to consider continuing to provide increased funding for community-based projects after learning how the grants helped secure much more money.

Richmondshire District Council’s corporate board is to examine maintaining the £50,000 funding it provided for its five area partnerships this year and last year, having raised it from the £25,000 it had given out annually since 2010.

Since the area partnerships were established a total of 493 individual projects have been supported, helping to secure over £1,629,655 worth of funding for the Richmondshire area.

In 2017/18 alone, the £50,000 was distributed among 68 schemes, which had a total cost of £249,512. The grants have been awarded to organisations such as parish councils, community groups and sports clubs and the projects have varied from equipment purchases to new community notice boards. Members of the committee will consider approving allocating the funding from the council taxpayers reserve.