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Mar 2023
£1.5m fund for voluntary organisations in North Yorkshire
Voluntary organisations that helped North Yorkshire communities during covid could benefit from a share of £1.5 million funding.
The funding will be available following the launch of the new North Yorkshire Council in just under four weeks, on April 1.
It will allow community and voluntary groups to increase their capacity to act as so-called "community anchors".
The funding, spread over the next three years, will be available to organisations to act as hubs for the public to access advice and support and to increase resilience in communities.
The project is building on the work that was undertaken by all of the current eight councils in North Yorkshire, including Harrogate Borough Council, to develop close working relationships with a network of community and voluntary groups which were instrumental in providing support to residents during the pandemic.
North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for stronger communities, Cllr Greg White, said:
Community anchors
While the concept of community anchors has been employed elsewhere in the country, the scheme in North Yorkshire is thought to be among the biggest of its kind nationally.
The vast swathes of rural North Yorkshire which are home to some of the most isolated communities in the country present significant challenges in ensuring that the 615,000 residents in the county are given the support and services that they need.
Groups that are already established in North Yorkshire can apply for £15,000-a-year in funding to become a community anchor ahead of a deadline on March 20.
To qualify for the funding, organisations need to be established in communities with an existing base where they are delivering services, while also demonstrating a proven track record that they are financially sustainable.
The funding is being made available to broadly increase the capacity of the groups, rather than being targeted at a specific project, and to strengthen the resilience of communities to build on the solid foundations that developed during the pandemic.
The investment would be available to finance a range of activities such as building partnerships with organisations including the council and health services and increasing their capacity to deliver physical and mental well-being programmes for communities.
The money could also be employed to help develop projects such as community transport services, running social enterprises and delivering skills and education.
The funding would also be potentially used to help communities to respond to emergencies, and improve people’s financial resilience, especially in relation to food and fuel.
Nidderdale Plus and Ripon Community House
Groups which could apply for the funding and played a key role throughout the covid pandemic include Nidderdale Plus, the Upper Dales Community Partnership and the Grassington Hub as well as the Community Care Associations in Stokesley, Thirsk and Easingwold.
Ripon Community House, which is based in part of the city’s old workhouse and celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, was another of the community support organisations established in the pandemic, and staff are due to apply for funding to become one of the new community anchors.
The venue, which provides meeting rooms for the community as well as a food bank and activities such as chair-based exercise classes, currently houses a base for Harrogate Borough Council to offer services such as waste and housing, and this will continue with the launch of North Yorkshire Council.
Ripon Community House’s chief officer, Suzanne Bowyer, said:
Funding from the government has already been used for North Yorkshire’s voluntary sector as part of financial support provided nationally to help the country recover from the pandemic.
However, the new funding is being provided via North Yorkshire County Council’s Stronger Communities Achieve Together programme and is aimed at supporting about 30 different organisations over a three-year period.
North Yorkshire County Council and the seven district and borough authorities will merge from April 1 to pave the way for a devolution deal, which is set to transfer decision-making powers and millions of pounds of funding from Westminster to local political leaders.
The new council will retain a main office in each of the former district areas, supported by additional customer access points in public locations.
Information on how to apply for the community anchors project is available online on the county council’s website.
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