£20k grant to get poetry in motion
6:00pm Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Latest News By Katie Bond
RESIDENTS in Toothill are celebrating after the area was awarded further funding to help make the area a better place to live.
The area was awarded the second round of money – a £20,000 grant – to get people involved in Big Local, the Lottery programme giving £1m to help improve the area over the next 10 years.
The grant has been allocated to projects over the next six months by the local steering group and will involve all members of the community through forthcoming events.
These include schoolchildren working with writers to create a poem to express their aspirations for the area, and support for the community cafe to act as more of a local hub where residents can voice their opinions.
Another Toothill Festival will also be held and promises to be bigger and better than last year and there will be half-term activities for children designed to promote health and fitness.
A photography competition will collect images of life in Toothill for a long-term community profile, and workshops and taster sessions of activities will be held in arts and crafts.
Big Local representative Helen Garforth said: “Once the second round of money is spent, Toothill will have a clear community vision, a partnership of local residents and organisations supporting them to form a Big Local plan. This will ensure the money is spent wisely over the next 10 years.
“It has been fantastic to see Big Local Toothill develop as a true resident-led endeavour. We would especially like to thank Pam Pixton from Swindon Council who has been a wonderful asset – managing the money side of things so far, and providing true support and guidance for the extremely skilled and passionate, and ever-expanding, local steering group.”
The Big Lottery Fund’s £200m Big Local programme was launched in July 2010. It will support up to 150 neighbourhoods in England.
The targeted places are where many people face multiple barriers to meeting their needs, and which have not had great success in gaining resources to help. Each neighbourhood will receive at least £1m and will have up to 10 years to allocate this money.
