MORE than 100 local organisations have been awarded a share of almost £300,000 from Inverclyde Council to support the vital work they do in the community.

A range of sporting, music, arts, community and voluntary groups applied to the council’s Community Grants Fund.

And 102 of them will receive a share of the £282,706 awarded to enable them to continue their good work across Inverclyde.

The money will pay for things like hall hire, running costs, staff and volunteer training, community events and sports kit for groups reaching all ages across the area.

Councillor Graeme Brooks, who is chair of the council grants sub-committee, said: “We are delighted to be able to support a wide range of groups doing such good work in the Inverclyde community.

“Everyone is well aware of the financial pressures facing local government but despite this, we have been able to support 102 groups, more than the 83 we supported in the last round.

“We received requests for more than £900,000 of funding so it’s a difficult task for myself and my colleagues on the grants sub-committee to make these decisions and I’d like to thank them once again for their support.

“I hope these awards give our community groups some much-needed financial support and will allow them to grow and develop the work they do for so many in our community."

Given the current financial restraints, the total budget available to councillors this year was reduced by 25 per cent. However councillors on the grants sub-committee agreed to fund more groups than before.

One of the recipients was Port Glasgow New Parish Church, which received £1,500 towards the running costs of the church’s many community groups and clubs.

Sheena MacFarlane, one of the church’s three session clerks, says the funding would make a big difference to what they can offer the community through the church.

She said: “We have got lots and lots of new groups which have started up in the last year.

“Our halls are more or less used every day with community groups.

"We have the Dove Café on Wednesday afternoons for people living with dementia and their carers, Walking Football on Fridays, a Walk & Talk group every second Saturday morning, the Tuesday Club for senior citizens and we’ve just started a playgroup on Thursday mornings.

“All the groups are completely free and we want to keep it that way to reach everyone who would benefit. We have great support from our church volunteers run them.

“This Community Grant helps towards our core costs so things like heating and lighting. We were delighted to get it.”

Crow Cottage Arts in Gourock received £6,000 which they will use to fund art classes with Clydeview Academy, Inverclyde Shed, amateur artists and members of the community for a programme called Inner Visions. It will culminate in an exhibition at St John’s Church in Gourock in November.

Greenock Telegraph:

Louise Wylie from the gallery said: “We’re going to talk to people about how the church and stained glass are linked to each other. We’ll look at the role of stained glass in traditional settings and how modern-day spirituality connects to this.

“Thanks to the grant funding, we’re offering the courses for free and have had a great response, we filled the community workshop in two days.

“The money is important as we can buy materials for the courses and we’ll use the feedback and input from people in Inverclyde as a springboard to a wider, national conversation."

The local authority’s new Community Grants Fund combines the former Grants to Voluntary Organisations, Under-19s Sports and Community Hall Waivers funding pots.

For more information and to find out how to apply, visit www.inverclyde.gov.uk/communitygrants.