WDC Grant Award Case Studies
Below are case studies from various projects that have been
funded by Wychavon District Council over the last five years and
some that have only just been awarded. For details about each
project please click on the links below. For a full list of the
grants awarded this year please go to the Community Grants 2011/12 page.
Garage Art Group (awarded £5,000
towards a £8,000 project) - awarded in
2011
"The Wychavon Community Grant will enable the Garage Art Group to
clebrate 20 years of our work within the local community.Our
CONNECTS DVD project will promote and share the creative work of
our members and staff, stimulate participation and contribute to
the cultural life of the local community."
Early Musica (awarded £2940 towards a £3925 project)
- awarded in 2011
Worcestershire Early Music, a new organization devoted to
promote early music, dance and education, is pleased to have had
the support of both Worcestershire County Council and Wychavon
District Council to run a project with middle school students
entitled ’A Tudor Betrothal’. Students learnt about Queen
Mary’s Betrothal to Philip of Spain. The project was set up to
pair two Wychavon Schools (and two Bromsgrove Schools], with one
school playing the part of the English and the other the Spanish.
Early music specialists visited the schools in Autumn 2011 over 10
weeks, including taster workshops and after school sessions. Nobody
needed prior experience but they couild use instrumental
skills if they awere studying a musical instrument. Groups met,
learned songs and dances, created new ones of their own, and
joined in with their ‘sister school’ to work towards a show,
which was presented to friends, family and the local community
on [29 November in Bromsgrove and 1st December in Wychavon. They
then took the students on a ‘tour day’ where they could share the
show with other area schools. For more information
visit www.earlymusica.org/wem.
Cropthorne with Charlton Village
Hall (awarded £10,000 towards a £386,289 project) - completed
2011
The project was to retain and refurbish the Main Hall, stage and
meeting room and demolish the kitchen and toilets and resite them.
Provide full access and facilities for the disabled and create
three activity spaces that can be used independently. A room to be
created for a community shop, with a prescription pick up point.
Fully insulate the building and fit double glazing throughout
resulting in energy saving.
PROJECT OUTCOME
- Provide full access for all 900+ Wychavon residents that
currently used the hall, with scope for more
- Help reduce pollution and CO2 emmissions by using less fuel to
travel to shops
- Provides a venue for young people to meet rather than hanging
around the village in groups
- Improved venue for healthy activities
- Shop will provide a service for residents within walking
distance for most residents
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION TO THE
PROJECT
Estimated 750 voluntary hours to the
project.
The refurbishment project was first mentioned
back in 2003, so it has taken some considerable time and effort to
get to this point. We were finally fully funded in March 2010 and
building work started in April. Despite being due to be completed
in October, the work was running behind schedule and when the
builders went into liquidation in November, we were left with a
half finished building. Our current builders, who started to
complete the project in March, have done a splendid job and the
results have exceeded our expectations.
We have a smart multi-purpose building with
three activity spaces that can be accessed independently by all.
There is even a room to house a small community shop, but whether
this ever happens depends very much on whether the local residents
still want one and if there are enough volunteers to help set up
and run it. (we are holding an open meeting at the hall on
27th Sept at 7.30 to gather views).
The new hall gives us so much opportunity to
increase the number and variety of our user groups. Just a few
suggestions that have come from the surveys we carried out:
drama/music groups, computer self help group, gardening club, youth
drop in centre. It also allows us to offer a choice of excellent
facilities to other organisations, such as Evesham College or our
local Children’s Centres. They can then run courses that local
people can enjoy, without having to travel far. Our local junior
football – the Sheppey Junior Swifts (now has 5 teams of differing
ages) will be able to make use of the separate room leading on to
the field to serve refreshments at matches and training sessions.
In addition to all this, the hall will make a wonderful venue for
wedding receptions and parties.
Although mainly funded by the Big Lottery, I
know we would not have been successful in securing their money
without firstly obtaining the financial support of local
organisations such as our Parish Councils, Wychavon District
Council and the loyal support of residents who supported our
fundraising events
Defford Village Hall (awarded £14,000 towards a £188,000
project) completed 2011
Rotary House, Droitwich Spa ( awarded £1,500 towards a £6,250
project) - 2008
The Councils £1500 grant enabled the Management Committee of
Droitwich Spa's Rotary House and Garden to undertake a £6,250
restoration of its patio which over 50 years had become unsafe for
use by the 600 people who attend the premises from over 20 local
community organisations. Apart from excavating and repaving the
patio, the project included new fencing and the provision of
disabled access to Corbett Avenue and to the House's recently
refurbished garden. The additional space will provide greater scope
for fellowship and will give organisers the opportunity to arrange
outdoor functions particularly during the summer months.
March Hare Archers (awarded £1000 towards a £1300 project) -
2007
In 2007 March Hare Archery Club at Throckmorton, Pershore
was very fortunate to obtain a grant from Wychavon District Council
of £1000 to enable the club to improve its toilet facilities. The
club has recently taken the delivery of a new toilet block that
represents a vast improvement over the old facilities. The old loo
is a rather unpleasant portaloo that has seen better days and is
used by male and female alike. The flush seldom functions and the
lack of running water on site meant that a basic portaloo was
the only facility available until now.
It took several months to locate an appropriate toilet block at
an affordable price. It transpired that such items are not easy to
come by but we eventually sourced a suitable unit from a local
firm. We then found a digger and driver to do the
job plus it took a couple of hundred hours of members
time to help prepare the site for the arrival of the new loos.
 |
The benefit to the club from the new loos can not be overstated.
This will help our members, and visitors to have a more comfortable
experience when nature calls. It is an important step towards our
aim of expanding the clubs facilities to enable more people to
enjoy the sport of archery.
The management Committee and members of the March Hare Archers
would like to express our grateful thanks to Wychavon District
Council for the generous grant without which this purchase would
not have been possible
|
Beckford Nature Reserve (awarded £10,000 towards a £65,000
project) - 2007
We were delighted to learn in July 2007 that
Wychavon had awarded us a grant of £10000. This sum, together
with monies raised by the local community, and other grant
providers, enabled us to buy a former quarry site owned by
Huntsmans, with the view to formalizing an existing conservation
area. The purchase was completed in March 2008. Now named ‘Beckford
Nature Reserve’, it covers just less than eight acres including a
lake of about four acres, all located within the northern edge of
the village, and on the southern slopes of Bredon Hill.
Huntsmans, who had finished working the quarry
in the 1980s had already landscaped the area for the benefit of the
village, and installed a hide for birdwatchers. Areas were planted
with varieties of native hardwoods, including oak, ash, cherry,
sycamore, field maple and white poplar. These are now developing
into very attractive woodland areas, with the more open spaces of
the site becoming a haven for varieties of wildflowers including
primroses, bee orchids, green- veined orchids, violets, and a whole
army of insects and invertebrates. We initially sought advice from
various conservation bodies on the management of the Reserve, which
resulted in a three-year rolling plan being implemented. Our first
year’s target has now been completed, partly as a result of labours
by a very enthusiastic team of volunteers, and partly by use of
contractors for the more specialized work.
The Reserve has now become a magnet for people
from Beckford, and the surrounding area looking for a place of
peace and tranquillity in which to spend some time. It has been
estimated that in the region of 3000 people have visited it in the
past year, many of whom have made use of the hide overlooking the
lake, and have helped keep records of ornithological sightings. The
Trustees have to interpret guidelines set down by the
conservationists “To facilitate use of the site by local people in
a way which allows enjoyment of it without disturbance to
wildlife.”
There is a geological SSSI which shows
graphically how the sand and gravel beds were laid down during the
end of the last ice age. This lies on the north-east corner of the
Reserve and is currently under the care of Natural England. During
the summer months this quarry face is home to several families of
sand martins, and they can be seen hawking up and down above the
surface of the lake, particularly on a summer’s evening.
We have a very enthusiastic group of
fundraisers who organize functions such as quiz nights and a 200
Club. Money is also raised from the sale of cards, pictures, and
calendars showing views of the Reserve. This money will help pay
for contractors work, and the installation of a disabled access to
the site, which will include another hide and wheelchair- friendly
path.
To view more detailed information about the
Reserve visit the village website at http://www.beckford-village.org/
For more information regarding community grants please call Tracy
Grubb, Community Development Officer on 01386 565168 or email
tracy.grubb@wychavon.gov.uk
