Community Groups from across Gwent will be bidding for a share of £30,000 this Saturday (March 24) at a ‘Your Voice, Your Choice’ Communities Fund Event.
The Gwent High Sheriff’s Community Fund and Gwent Police Property Fund are putting forward the money for projects and groups that aim to promote and support community safety, crime prevention, youth diversion or tackle drugs and alcohol abuse.
The Gwent High Sheriff’s Community Fund, which is managed by the Community Foundation in Wales, is made available each year as a result of the High Sheriff organising charitable events during their year of office.
The Gwent Police Property Fund is raised from the sale of property and cash seized from criminals, as well as the disposal of unclaimed lost property.
In total, 22 organisations will be bidding to receive a share of the funding (maximum of £2,500 per bid). They will each have just two minutes to present their case to the other organisations and explain how they would use their share of the money.
The other organisations attending will then score each bid in turn. At the end of the event, those with the highest overall scores will receive the amount they asked for (maximum of £2500) until the £30,000 is spent.
This is the second time that Gwent Police and the Gwent High Sheriff’s Community Fund, together with the Community Foundation in Wales have joined together to run the Your Voice, Your Choice event.
In March 2011, 15 of the 22 organisations that attended the first event received a share of the money.
Gwent Police Chief Constable Carmel Napier, said: “The Your Voice, Your Choice event aims to support groups and organisations that are contributing greatly to the field of community safety and diverting people away from crime and anti-social behaviour. It encourages community participation with the attendees deciding amongst themselves who will receive the funding. It also gives the groups an opportunity to interact with each other and to learn more about all of the positive work that is taking place locally.”
Gwent High Sheriff, Lady Diana Hayman-Joyce, said: “This is a very open and democratic way of distributing the money from the Fund. It gives groups the opportunity to meet each other and share ideas and can also be very entertaining.”
Lisa Kellett, Chief Executive of the Community Foundation in Wales, said: “We are delighted to be supporting Your Voice, Your Choice again after such a successful inaugural event last year. Breaking down the barriers between funders and the community allows for a transparent, engaged approach to grant-making which gives people a voice, and most importantly, a say, in how vital grass-roots funding is allocated. It enables local people to decide priorities and ensure that funding is matched to the needs a community faces.”