Twenty-one Somerset youth clubs will receive a share of £58,000 in grants from Conservative-controlled Somerset County Council to help run popular sessions.
The grants from Somerset Youth and Community Service will support new and existing projects that benefit young people across the county.
These projects have been further boosted by over £90,000 in locally raised funding and hundreds of hours given by volunteers.
Cllr Frances Nicholson, Cabinet member for Children and Families, said: “I am pleased that we have been able to support our communities with these grants, which are a “top-up” to the funds they have already worked hard to raise locally.
“Many of these projects are heavily reliant on the generosity and dedication of volunteers. I’d like to thank them for everything they do and I hope the grant funding helps ensure these projects continue benefiting the young people of Somerset in the future.”
Each of the projects bid for the grants and met certain criteria. Each application was assessed by a grant panel against the criteria and the value for money offered by the proposal. More information and application forms can be accessed atwww.somersetyouth.co.uk/club_pages/youth_and_community_group_grants/9/144
The clubs which will receive grants are listed below by district:
Mendip
• Stoke St Michael Youth Club was awarded £2,800 toward staff costs for a youth club session on Wednesday evenings.
• Shepton Mallet Youth Club was awarded £3,500 toward staff costs to continue delivery of the open-door youth club on Tuesday nights.
• Evercreech Youth Club was awarded £725 toward the cost of staffing for the senior club on Thursday night club.
• Glastonbury Town Council was awarded £3,500 for staffing costs to continue delivery of their open-door youth club at Windmill Hill on Wednesday nights.
• Coleford Youth Club was given £3,500 toward staffing costs to continue their Tuesday night youth club.
Sedgemoor
• £3,460 was given to Cannington Parish Council towards staffing costs to continue their weekly youth club Monday evenings.
• North Petherton Youth Club was allocated £3,500 toward funding youth workers to run the senior youth club on Tuesday nights.
• North Sedgemoor Youth Clubs was allocated £3,500 for the Cheddar Open Access Youth Club to go towards the staffing costs of running the Tuesday night session.
• North Sedgemoor Youth Clubs was also given £3,500 toward the staffing costs for Axbridge Youth Club’s Monday night session.
South Somerset
• West Coker Youth Club was awarded £1,110 towards the utilities, insurance and premises costs for their Friday evening youth club.
• Martock Parish Council was awarded £3,250 toward the cost a drop-in session for 11-19 year olds in Martock
• Bruton Youth Club was given £2,250 toward the costs of a professional worker to support their team of volunteers at their Monday evening youth club
• Tatworth Community Youth Club was awarded £2,260 toward the cost of their youth worker for their Friday evening youth club.
• Hamdon Youth Group was awarded £3,500 towards staffing for their Thursday evening session in Stoke-sub-Hamdon.
• Project Zero was given £1,350 to support the delivery of under-18’s night club sessions in school holidays in Yeovil. The evenings promote healthy lifestyles.
Taunton Deane
• Taunton North Youth and Sports Club was awarded £2,000 for a youth worker, their programme costs and some funding towards premises costs for their Tuesday and Friday evening sessions.
West Somerset
• Minehead Youth Club was awarded £3,200 to pay toward youth workers for a weekly youth club on Monday evenings.
• The Victory Hall Committee, which supports Stogursey Youth Club, was awarded £3,500 toward staffing to continue their youth club on a Thursday night.
• Exmoor Community Youth Club was awarded £1,500 toward the cost of staffing their Friday evening sessions.
• Dulverton & District Young People’s Project was awarded £3,500 towards the staffing costs of sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Williton Youth Club was given £3,000 towards staffing to continue their Tuesday evening club.