Town projects awarded thousands in funding

Community grants worth £15,000 have been given out to groups and organisations running projects in Kettering.

Kettering Town Council has a pot of cash to give out to community and voluntary organisations, registered charities and to other bodies.

The first round of applications opened in the spring and ended in May, with town councillors agreeing to share the full £15,000 between: Kettering Civic Society, Kettering Community Unit, Home-Start Kettering and the Friends of Rockingham Road Pleasure Park.

Kettering Town Councillor Mark Rowley said: "I am very pleased to be able to give these grants to some fantastic local organisations. The money is going to a range of different projects and will make a real difference to helping people in the town."

Kettering Civic Society has been awarded £5,000 to create magazines for local primary schools focusing on the town's history. Kettering-based inclusive arts student, Max Champion from Picture the Difference will design the magazines which will be available in a series for local schoolchildren, as well as linked to the society's activities such as guided walks.

President Richard Barnwell said: "We are very pleased to have been successful in our grant application. Max is incredibly creative and with his brilliant cartoon characters and illustrations the history of the town will be brought to life, making it fun and accessible for young people. Committee members Monica Ozdemir and Kathy Haigh will carry out the research and provide the text. We look forward to working together with him and Kettering primary schools."

Kettering Community Unit, which supports unemployed and low-income families in the town, has been allocated £4,000 to employ a van driver to deliver food parcels and household goods and furniture.

Lynn Chapman from the unit said: "This funding will contribute to helping people who struggle financially, some of whom have to make difficult choices between putting food on the table and paying rent and bills. It will also help survivors of domestic abuse being rehomed but who have fled with nothing and rough sleepers being housed. We also support relocating refugees and families who fall into food poverty during school holidays when children are not receiving school meals."

Home-Start Kettering has been given £5,000 to support local families, as well as work in partnership with other agencies to engage family members. The money will go to train and supervise volunteers working at the charity.

Nikki Farrar-Hayton, Home-Start Kettering manager, said: "Home-Start works because most of our volunteers are parents and they understand how hard it can be. They work alongside parents, in their own homes, to help them cope with the stresses and strains of life and make sure they have the skills, time and strength they need to nurture their children.

"We currently have 34 trained volunteers who between them supported 73 families with 168 children last year and this grant will help us continue to develop our volunteer network and reach out to more families in need."

The Friends of Rockingham Road Park have been awarded £1,000 to plant bulbs in the park, develop their website and install a noticeboard to promote community events.

Greg Titcombe, chair of the Friends of Rockingham Road Park, said: "Our new website will provide a single point of reference for the community regarding the many types of events that occur in the park throughout the year. The website will allow park users to submit suggestions and opinions so informed decisions can be made on the future of the park.

"The bulbs will be planted in the autumn for a wonderful spring display for park users and local residents to enjoy."