2023/24 Grants Programme

We had a total fund of £20,000 to give to projects working within the following themes:

- Measures which help address the cost of living pressures on local residents
- Measures which improve the local environment and help combat climate change
- Measures which improve mental health and wellbeing
- Measures which improve the capacity and reach of the voluntary sector

Applications for between £500 and £5,000 were considered and councillors agreed the following organisations and projects will be funded:

Art works on Openreach Telecoms Boxes £1,300

The Kettering Civic Society has embarked on an innovative street art project, transforming three BT Openreach boxes into vibrant artworks by local talents Daisy Farrar-Hayton, Mark James, and Sally Leach. This initiative, supported by community discussions and feedback, aims to celebrate the town's cultural heritage and local artists while adding a splash of colour to Kettering's streets.

The project sees Daisy Farrar-Hayton's "Pleasure Park Mural" on Masefield Road, celebrating Rockingham Pleasure Park; Mark James' "The Shoemaker" on Wood Street, honouring Kettering's history of shoe making; and Sally Leach's "Cafe Corner" at Oaktree Court, incorporating residents' wishes for a garden design while remembering the former bus station.

Check the artists' Instagram account for all the images.

Follow Kettering Civic Society on Facebook.

The Kettering Bee Barn Project £900

The project is working to install bee barns at sites around Kettering, schools, allotments and other spaces with safe green areas. These will provide an ideal educational and nature connectedness tool, whilst encouraging participants to take part in a town-wide citizen science project to record the diversity of solitary bee populations, their allies and predators over the duration of the project.

All records will be passed to the local biological records centre (NBRC) to inform conservation efforts, and all involved will benefit mentally through the study of these fascinating insects. The project will be used to educate the community about the importance of pollinators at large through various events, both online and in person.

Follow the work of Kettering Nature Group on Facebook.

Regeneration of garden £5,000

Operating costs £1,000

Pilot to set up new community groups £3,060

Community activities for local people £1,000

Activities and trips out £1,000

Mower repairs and redecoration works £800

Operating costs £1,015

Operating costs £2,000

Equipment to enable training of young people to take place £1,500

Market valuation of Gala Bingo site £2,850

The Council had a budget of £2,000 from funds raised from the Kettering Community Lottery to give to projects which support mental health and wellbeing, up to a value of £1,000 each.

The applications for town lottery grants closed on Sunday 22 October 2023 and councillors have now awarded grants to the following groups:

Big Bubble Theatre Company - Theatre mindfulness sessions £1,000

Kettering Foodbank - Operating costs £500

Kettering Youth Theatre Group - Pantomime rehearsals and facilities costs £1,000

Find out more about the lottery and previous grants awarded on the page below...

Kettering Town Council's Love Wildlife competition has now awarded the winning grants.

The competition offered funding for projects which help boost wildlife in Kettering.

Charities, CIOs, community and voluntary groups, clubs, not for profit organisations School Parent Teacher Associations, Friends of groups, religious bodies and health charities are all some of the examples of groups were eligible to apply.

The cash can go towards funding programme or activity costs which are directly relevant to the application, hire or purchase of equipment for meeting project needs and technical assistance. The project must also happen within Kettering town.

Kettering Science Academy
£1,000
Project to teach children how to grow vegetables in order to promote sustainability and life skills for students with special educational needs.

Park Junior School PTFA
£1,000
To set up an Eco Club so children can grow their own produce and install bug houses, bird boxes and a wildflower area.

Kettering Nature Group
£400
Kettering Bats Rock! Tour – a series of free guided bat walks with cash going towards purchasing bat detectors.

The Parent Friends Association of St Mary's School
£200
To develop a wellbeing garden, creating a habitat of plants and wildflowers where biodiversity would be a focus.

Bishop Stopford School
£200
To set up a Gardening Society to develop an area of eco garden at the school, focusing on project days in June with groups of year 8 students taking on the work as a super curricular activity.

All councillors have £500 to spend each year on projects which benefit people living in their ward. Below is a list of the projects funded in the 2023/24 financial year.

All Saints Community Group
Litter pickers/flyers £364.45

All Saints Community Group
Flytipping camera £359

Bishop Stopford School
Litter pickers £300

Cordwainer Pub
Christmas soup and meal service for £1, £494

Crescents Community Assoc.
Christmas event £150

Friends of Brambleside School
Outdoor seating £500

Grange Tots Group
Set up costs £173.25

Headlands Area Residents Association
£100

Highfield Barnes Community Centre
Coronation Party £160

Highfield Barnes Food Bank
Storage £615

Homestart
Family Day at Wicksteed £100

Kettfest
Pianist in Newlands Centre £300

11th Kettering Brownies
Equipment £500

KGH Radio
Replacement recording equipment £200

Kettering Sea Cadets
Defibrillator £300

Kettering Wombles
Advertising and PR materials £100

North East Town Tenants and Residents Group
Equipment £100

Midland Band Club
Christmas event £500

Ronald Tree Nursery
Sports equipment £238.25

Ronald Tree nursery
Consultation event £238

Sahyog Community Group
Event £500

St Mary's CEVA School
Toys £425

St Michael's Church Teas Up Group
Equipment £150

St Thomas More School Garden
£500

Tamara Sparkles
Free glitter stall at Kettering Town Council events £141

William St Community Garden
£141.60

Grants for the 2022/23 financial year were awarded to a range of local groups. You can see the full list by clicking on the document below.