Chillerton and Gatcombe Community Association, The Way Forward Programme and Whippingham Community Association will share over £12,600 between them as the recipients of the Isle of Wight Foundation’s latest round of grants.
The money will be used by each organisation to improve their buildings making them more accessible.
Each year, the foundation – comprising Ringway Island Roads, Meridiam, VINCI UK Foundation and VINCI Concessions – supports projects working to tackle social exclusion on the Island. Since 2014, the foundation has awarded more than £543,000 to such good causes and this year alone over £73,000 has been shared between 10 local projects.
The money will help Chillerton and Gatcombe Community Association’s work to upgrade Chillerton village hall as a community facility and hub. They have been awarded £3,505.
The Way Forward Programme will spend its money – £4,125.25 – on a new fully accessible kitchen at their Newport headquarters, while Whippingham Community Association will put their grant – £5,000 – towards the cost of refurbishing Whippingham Community Hall making it accessible to all.
IW Foundation chairman Phillip Horton said:
“We are delighted to support three improvement projects that will make buildings that are hubs for their respective communities accessible for all.
“In common with all recipients, these groups share our aim of helping to make the Isle of Wight community a strong, vibrant and inclusive one.”
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Trevor Rann, Whippingham Community Association Chair of Trustees said:
“This very welcome grant will enable us to upgrade the entrance and existing ladies’ toilets, also to provide a unisex disabled toilet, thereby making the building more accessible and therefore more inclusive.
“By making the building accessible to all we will increase usage, which will also help the building remain a viable, as well as a valuable, community hub for the future.”
Nigel Phillips, treasurer of Chillerton and Gatcombe Community Association, said:
“We are delighted to receive this support from the IW Foundation. The village hall is a very important part of the community but in order to keep it accessible for all we do need to keep it in a good condition. This donation will help up to repoint the east and west walls of the hall and also install an outside tap that will help us maintain our grounds.”
Tracey Hill, chief executive of Osel Enterprises Ltd and the Programme Lead of Way Forward which provides a day centre for over 100 customers, community support, training, and employment for people with disabilities and autism living on the Island, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled that, once again, the IW Foundation has provided us with much-needed funding.
“The money will help us adapt the kitchen at Way Forward, so it is fully accessible to all, particularly for our clients who have mobility challenges or who are partially sighted. This will be a great help in our work to encourage the independence and self-worth of our customers.”
Recently, the Isle of Wight Foundation also announced funding of £30,000 to be shared between Care in the Garden, Ability Dogs 4 Young People and Bembridge Friendship Circle. Further grant recipients will be announced in the near future.
Applications for the next round of IW Foundation grant will be sought from 8th February 2021. You can read more about the foundation, its work, how to apply for grants, and projects it has previously supported by clicking https://islandroads.com/iw-foundation/.
